Service utilization patterns and characteristics among clients of integrated supervised consumption sites in Toronto, Canada

Abstract

Introduction

Supervised consumption services (SCS), intended to reduce morbidity and mortality among people who inject drugs, have been implemented in a variety of delivery models. We describe and compare access to and uptake of co-located and external services among clients accessing harm reduction-embedded (HR-embedded) and community health center-embedded (CHC-embedded) SCS models.

Safer Opioid Supply Program Summary Report

Find the full report here.

Background

The Safer Opioid Supply (SOS) Program was started in 2016 at the London Intercommunity Health Centre (LIHC). The development of this program was informed by the recognition that traditional substance use and addiction treatment programs were not meeting the needs of some LIHC clients, particularly people who use drugs who were experiencing homelessness, street-involved, or disconnected from traditional models of healthcare delivery.

Patterns of medication and healthcare use among people who died of an opioid-related toxicity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario

Key findings from this report are available as an infographic here.In Ontario, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the ongoing opioid overdose crisis, leading to a significant rise in unintentional deaths due to opioid-related toxicity.