Patterns of medication and healthcare use among people who died of an opioid-related toxicity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
Cette ressource est disponible en anglais, avec résumé et infographie en français. This Resource Library entry is a shortened entry. Please visit the resource link directly for more detail.
This report describes how circumstances of opioid-related poisonings changed in Ontario during the pandemic, noting a disproportionate impact on people experiencing houselessness. Factors such as access to housing, mental health diagnoses, stigmatizing healthcare, and an unregulated drug supply influence the rate of opioid-related deaths. Public health practitioners can use these findings to work with health and social service partners on comprehensive harm reduction strategies and services for people who use drugs.
Gomes, T., Murray, R., Kolla, G., Leece, P., Kitchen, S., Campbell, T., Besharah, J., Cahill, T., Garg, R., Iacono, A., Munro, C., Nunez, E., Robertson, L., Shearer, D., Singh, S., Toner, L., & Watford, J. on behalf of the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network, Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario and Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario). Patterns of medication and healthcare use among people who died of an opioid-related toxicity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario. Toronto, ON: Ontario Drug Policy Research Network; 2022.
Tags: COVID-19, Substance use, Public Health Organization, Document, Report / Document