Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

June 4, 2021

Identifying the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Service Access for People Who Use Drugs (PWUD): A National Qualitative Study

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  • A qualitative study of 196 Canadian adults who use psychoactive substances or were enrolled in opioid agonist treatment found that most participants experienced disruptions in service access and treatment disruptions during 2020. Disrupted services included harm reduction services, withdrawal treatment, medical treatment, mental health care, shelters/housing, and food banks. The reduced access to services resulted in increased high-risk substance use behaviors, including unaccompanied substances use, sharing/re-using of supplies, and overdose events. However, some participants reported greater access to “take-home” opioid agonist treatment and prescription deliveries. The authors suggest that these results highlight the need for novel and effective adaptations of critical health services for persons who use substances during widespread disruptions to health care. 

Russell et al. (Oct 2021). Identifying the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Service Access for People Who Use Drugs (PWUD): A National Qualitative Study. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2021.108374