Evaluation of Harm Reduction Approaches to Address the Opioid Crisis in the Context of COVID-19 — Safer Supply Evaluation
Midpoint Knowledge Exchange Forum: What We Heard Report

Introduction

On May 10, 2023, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) hosted a virtual midpoint knowledge exchange forum for an evaluation project funded through the Operating Grant: Evaluation of Harm Reduction Approaches to Address the Opioid Crisis in the Context of COVID-19 funding opportunity. This research project is evaluating Safer Supply Pilot Projects supported by Health Canada through their Substance Use and Addictions Funding Program (SUAP). This report comprises a synthesis of progress and current findings presented by the research team and a summary of knowledge user and audience perspectives shared during a panel reflections and discussion session.

Disclaimer

The following information intends to summarize what we heard at the workshop. CIHR has made every effort to share this text with project participants for their review. Any errors or omissions are unintentional. This report should not be taken as a definitive account of research results. Readers are advised to follow up directly with grant recipients for the most current information on their projects.

The meeting book for this workshop is available upon request. Requests can be directed to the CIHR Contact Centre: support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

Message from the Scientific Director

Countless Canadians and their loved ones have been grappling with a nation-wide overdose crisis over the past several years, one that shows no signs of slowing down. A large number of lives continue to be lost each year, due to an illegal drug supply increasingly contaminated with toxic and potent drugs.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the effect of the overdose crisis on Canadian communities. There has been a clear increased risk of harm to people who use drugs or who have a substance use disorder. Targeted investments to expand access to pharmaceutical-grade medications as safer alternatives to the illegal supply (safer supply) that may provide people with pathways to care are urgently needed.

To address this investment gap, Health Canada has been supporting Safer Supply Pilot Projects (SSPP) through their Substance Use and Addictions Funding Program (SUAP). These pilot intervention projects offer safer supply services and contribute to the evolving evidence base on harm reduction interventions. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (CIHR-INMHA) supported research to evaluate these innovative programs as part of the Evaluation of Harm Reduction Approaches to Address the Opioid Crisis in the Context of COVID-19 funding opportunity (FO) launched in late 2020. The ‘Safer Supply Evaluation’ component of the FO supports critical implementation science research on the outcomes of the SSPPs, conducted by a dedicated research team comprised of members drawn from the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM) network.

This midpoint knowledge exchange forum presented a significant opportunity in the mobilization of research into real-world evidence informing policy and practice decisions on harm reduction. The interim research findings shared at this forum will be invaluable to the countless lives touched by the ongoing overdose crisis nationally. CIHR-INMHA is grateful to the research team and knowledge users for their participation in this important knowledge exchange event, and to the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, for her opening remarks.

Samuel Weiss, CM, PhD, FRSC, FCAHS
Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction

Summary of Research Team Progress Update

Presenters: Daniel Werb, Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, St. Michael’s Hospital (Nominated Principal Investigator), and Mohammad Karamouzian, Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, St. Michael's Hospital

Summary of Discussion

Following the research team’s progress update, a moderated discussion was held for meeting participants (including policy makers, service providers, other researchers and knowledge users) to share their reflections on the research findings and discuss potential implications and applications. Below is a thematic summary of the discussion.

For more information

Since this midpoint knowledge exchange forum, the following paper has been published: Challenges of implementing safer supply programs in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative analysis.

The meeting book for this forum is available to the public upon request. Requests can be directed to the CIHR Contact Centre: support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

More information on CIHR’s Research in Substance Use initiative can be found online at: Research in Substance Abuse.

For more information on CIHR’s Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction, visit the INMHA homepage or email INMHA-INSMT@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

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