Release Date
Geography
Language of Resource
Full Text Available
Open Access / OK to Reproduce
Peer Reviewed
Objective
Our study aimed to characterize longitudinal substance use patterns among people receiving OAT and evaluate the association between different substance use patterns and the risk of OAT discontinuation.
Findings/Key points
We found that compared to the primarily crack use class, the two opioid and stimulant use classes carried a higher risk of OAT discontinuation, while the primarily cannabis and crack use class had a lower OAT discontinuation risk. Our findings highlight the need for integrated treatment strategies to manage the co-use of opioids and stimulants during receipt of OAT and suggest future research should explore the potential of cannabis as a harm reduction strategy or adjunctive treatment to OAT.
Design/methods
Data were collected from two prospective cohorts between 2005 and 2020 in Vancouver, Canada.