As you may know, guidelines for Prescribed Safer Supply (to replace the toxic drug supply) have been introduced in British Columbia.
The experiences of those accessing or attempting to access prescribed safer supply is incredibly valuable! So, we are reaching out to you and your networks to help connect people with lived experience to participate in our research study, “Evaluation of safer supply initiatives to reduce illicit drug overdose in BC.”
People with lived and living experience are being asked to participate in this study because their insights help us to better understand the roll-out and delivery of prescribed safer supply across the province. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the experiences of people who use drugs in trying to access safer supply in BC and to learn how it impacts their lives.
Participating in the study will involve completing surveys. Participants will be asked to complete one survey following an eligibility screening and 3 additional follow-up surveys over the next 6 months. Each survey takes about 30-45 minutes to complete and can be done over the phone or in person where available. Participants will also be asked if they are interested in doing a 1-hour interview over the phone, by video, or in person. You will be compensated for your time. The survey/interview includes questions about what happened when you tried to access safer supply from a doctor, the types of medications you were looking for, whether or not you were able to get them, and what this has meant for your health and wellness. Additional questions related to prescribed safer supply, illicit substance use (non-prescription), health-related quality of life, mental health, cultural safety in health care settings, family and parenting, and sociodemographic characteristics will be asked.
Along with your feedback and others accessing prescribed safer supply, you can help shape the future of this public health measure.
Our study is led by Drs. Karen Urbanoski and Bernie Pauly at the University of Victoria, and Dr. Brittany Barker at the First Nations Health Authority. If you have any questions about this study please feel free to contact our lead researcher, Karen Urbanoski at: [email protected] or 250.853.3238.
Please help us to gather people’s experiences. By sharing this information, or the attached flyer, we can collect the experiences of people from across BC.
If you would like to participate in this study or receive more information, email [email protected] or call 250-507-7810 or 1-800-756-8058.