Theme: Models of Care Year: 2021
Background: The context of a double crisis, COVID-19 and overdoses, highlights the issues relating to the management of people who use drugs (PUD). In Canada, and in Quebec, we are witnessing a service gaps, deficient collaboration, disparities in practices and limited support for organizations. It is important to promote harm reduction approaches (HRA) that help overcome these difficulties in meeting the needs of PUD. The goal of this presentation is to illustrate the interdisciplinary work of a team of researchers and professionals from a community organization in Quebec (Centre SidaAmitié) to identify possible solutions to the challenges of accessing HRA services for PUD (Funding agency: SSHRS 1008-2020-1105). The research objectives are to identify exemplary community initiatives in HRA and to develop recommendations for community organizations. Methods: A mixed sequential explanatory estimate using an HRA approach allows for semistructured interviews with PUD, community workers and managers, and members of the Quebec Association of Addiction Intervention Centers; triangulated with a systematic literature review (Prisma 2020). Bivariate statistical analyzes and thematic analyzes are used. Results: The various exemplary community based HRA initiatives aimed at preventing overdose, such as substances testing, distribution of sterile consumption equipment, are listed. Conclusion: The identification of exemplary HRA initiatives will allow for the development of recommendations and concerted actions that contribute to meeting the health needs of PUD. Disclosure of Interest Statement: The conference collaborators recognize the considerable contribution of the partners of this study, namely the community organization Centre Sida-Amitié and the funding agency SSHRC. We also recognize the need for transparency of disclosure of potential conflicts of interest by acknowledging these relationships in publications and presentations.
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