COVID-19 and Mental Health (CMH) Initiative: Research
A Rapid Review of Opioid Substitution Therapy During Major Disruptions to Medical Care
Key Messages
- Disaster planning must take into account the health care of people who use drugs (PWUDs) and, specifically, individuals suffering from opioid use disorder
- There is an identified need for:
- centralized databases with essential information regarding PWUDs, their medical records, and their medications and dosages
- standardized but flexible guidelines for OST clinic operation during a disaster
- communication strategies that connect PWUDs with OST clinic staff and with alternative sources of treatment
- networks of OST clinics that support each other during an emergency
- transportation strategies based upon links with public and private transport companies
Keywords
- Opioid
- Opioid use disorder
- Methadone
- Buprenorphine
- Opioid substitution therapy
- Disruptions to medical care
- COVID-19
- Pandemic
- Disaster preparedness
Author(s)
- Nominated Principal Applicant: Dr. Ross Upshur, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (Toronto)
- Nominated Principal Applicant: Dr. Abhimanyu Sud, Family & Community Medicine, University of Toronto (co-PI)
- Fabio Salamanca-Buentello, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (Toronto);
- Darren K. Cheng, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute – Bridgepoint (Toronto);
- Ross Upshur, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (Toronto);
- Abhimanyu Sud, Family & Community Medicine, University of Toronto
For more information, please contact: Abhimanyu Sud, abhimanyu.sud@utoronto.ca
Related Syntheses
- Niikaniganaw (All My Relations) Ii – the COVID-19 Rapid Response: Indigenous Approaches to Synthesizing Knowledge for Culturally-safe and Stigma Free Mental Health Care for Under-served Indigenous Communities in Ottawa-Gatineau
- Securing Safe Supply During COVID-19 and Beyond: Scoping Review and Knowledge Mobilization
- School-Based Suicide Risk Assessment Using eHealth: A Scoping Review
Download
(External links)
Population
People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) and Substance Use
Language
To ensure the rapid dissemination of this critical information, information is published in the language in which it was submitted. Please contact us for French or English translations.
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