A5005679133- HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk
- Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
- HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
- Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis
- Hepatitis C virus research
- Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Sex work and related issues
- Pain Management and Opioid Use
- Hepatitis B Virus Studies
- Homelessness and Social Issues
- Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
- Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes
- HIV Research and Treatment
- Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects
- Pharmaceutical Quality and Counterfeiting
- Poisoning and overdose treatments
- Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation
- Health Policy Implementation Science
- Treatment of Major Depression
- Healthcare Decision-Making and Restraints
- Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
- Ginseng Biological Effects and Applications
- Pediatric Pain Management Techniques
- Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects
- Alcoholism and Thiamine Deficiency
British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
2018-2025
University of British Columbia
2016-2025
St. Paul's Co-educational College
2014-2024
St. Paul's Hospital
2016-2023
Michael Smith Health Research BC
2021
St. Paul's Hospital
2012-2020
AIDS Vancouver
2012-2020
Vancouver Coastal Health
2020
Simon Fraser University
2011-2012
McGill University
2011
Abstract Introduction and Aims Drug checking is a harm reduction intervention increasingly used in the context of opioid overdose epidemic. The aim study was to determine limit detection for fentanyl two point‐of‐care drug technologies. Design Methods Samples tested at using Bruker Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy BTNX immunoassay strips were sent confirmatory laboratory analysis quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) spectroscopy. Concentrations by weight determined...
Abstract Aims We measured the association between prescribed stimulant medications and overdose among individuals receiving opioid agonist therapy (OAT) for use disorder. Design Retrospective cohort study using British Columbia Provincial Overdose Cohort, a linked administrative database. Setting used data from Columbia, Canada, January 2015 through February 2020. Participants In total, 9395 contributed 18 273 person‐years of follow‐up while dispensed OAT. Measurements examined prescription...
Abstract Background & Aims Despite the high burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among people who inject drugs (PWID), uptake interferon‐based therapies has been extremely low. Increasing availability direct‐acting antiviral (DAA)‐based offers possibility rapid treatment expansion with goal controlling HCV epidemic. We evaluated DAA‐based HCV‐positive PWID in Vancouver after introduction DAAs government drug formulary. Methods Using data from three cohorts Vancouver, Canada, we...
Background Leaving hospital against medical advice (AMA) is common among people who use illicit drugs (PWUD) and associated with severe health-related harms costs. However, little known about the prevalence of factors leaving AMA PWUD. Methods Data were collected through two Canadian prospective cohort studies involving PWUD between September 2005 July 2011 linked to a admission/discharge database. Bivariable multivariable generalized estimating equations used examine hospitalized. Results...
While persons with addiction are often hospitalised, hospitals typically employ abstinence-based policies specific to illicit drug use. Although use is known occur within hospitals, this problem has not been well characterised. Therefore, we sought investigate the prevalence of and factors associated having ever used drugs in hospital among people who Vancouver, Canada.Data were derived from prospective cohort studies between December 2012 May 2013. Multivariable logistic regression was...
North America has been contending with an unregulated street drug supply in which opioids are often adulterated illicitly manufactured fentanyl. The unpredictability of composition may result increased risk overdose due to unexpected elevated concentrations the high-potency drug. Using data from a community-based drug-checking project, we evaluated trends fentanyl concentration illicit context epidemic. quantification model for hydrochloride, historical Fourier-transform infrared spectra...
Abstract Objective In recent years, Canada’s unregulated drug supply has become permeated by novel adulterants (e.g., fentanyl analogues, benzodiazepines, xylazine). While been shown to be associated with overdose mortality and other non-fatal health outcomes, adverse events (AE) these remain poorly described. This study seeks identify whether common identified through checking services are increased prevalence of specific reportedly experienced people who use drugs. Methods Drug samples...
Objectives: To characterize patterns of outpatient buprenorphine induction and examine factors associated with the use low-dose initiation (LDI). Methods: A retrospective cohort study 4510 adults initiating between January 1, 2016 December 31, 2019 in British Columbia (BC), Canada, was undertaken using linked administrative data Provincial Overdose Cohort, which contains a 20% random sample BC residents. Using multivariable modelling, we examined association sociodemographic, co-morbidity,...
Drug checking services provide individuals who use drugs with the ability to test samples of their for presence highly potent substances. However, there has been recent concern about whether existing repertoire point-of-care drug technologies, such as immunoassay strips and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), are adequate in identifying substances unregulated supply. Carfentanil nitazene opioids, that even more than fentanyl vitro, have found supply North America pose a challenge...
BACKGROUND: Undertreated pain is common among people who use illicit drugs (PWUD), and can often reflect the reluctance of health care providers to provide medication individuals with substance disorders. OBJECTIVE: To investigate relationship between having ever been denied by a provider reported using in hospital. METHODS: Data were derived from participants enrolled two Canadian prospective cohort studies December 2012 May 2013. Using bivariable multivariable logistic regression analyses,...
ABSTRACT Objectives: Drug checking is a harm reduction intervention that provides people who use drugs with information about the substance they are intending to, or have already, used. It also functions as way to monitor local drug supply providing real-time alerts community, researchers, and decision makers. These include, but not limited novel adulterants detected in supply. Methods: samples were sent from point-of-care service utilizing Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy...
Background The overdose crisis in North America has prompted system-level efforts to restrict opioid prescribing for chronic pain. However, little is known about how discontinuing or tapering prescribed opioids pain shapes risk, including possible differential effects among people with and without concurrent use disorder (OUD). We examined associations between discontinuation of risk on long-term therapy pain, stratified by diagnosed OUD agonist (OAT) status. Methods findings For this...