Release Date
Geography
Language of Resource
Full Text Available
Open Access / OK to Reproduce
Peer Reviewed
Objective
This article describes the implementation and evaluation of four Safer Opioid Supply programs (SSPs) in Ontario, one in London and three in Toronto. Implications of the findings for policy and practice are also explored.
Findings/Key points
The findings suggest that the combination of safer supply, wrap-around support, and harm reduction within primary care settings can lead to increased healthcare engagement, HIV/HCV prevention, testing, and treatment uptake, reducing the burden of infectious diseases and overdose risk. SSPs have the potential to meaningfully reduce overdose rates, address the ongoing overdose crisis, and if scaled up, influence population-level outcomes.
Design/methods
The intervention (SSPs) involve a daily dispensed prescription of immediate-release hydromorphone tablets for take-home dosing alongside an observed dose of long-acting opioids like slow-release oral morphine. Implemented within a multidisciplinary primary care framework, these programs emphasize patient-centred approaches and comprehensive health and social support.
