Background

COVID-19 dramatically limited the scale and scope of local health department (LHD) work, redirecting resources to the response. However, the need for essential public health services—including substance use prevention—was not reduced.

Methods

Six quantitative data sources were examined, collected between 2016 and 2021, to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on LHD substance use-related services.

Results

Before the pandemic, the proportion of LHDs providing some level of substance use prevention services was increasing, and many were expanding their level of provision...

Background

Interdisciplinary collaborations (i.e., where various disciplines work coordinated and interdependently toward shared goals) are stated to yield higher team effectiveness than multidisciplinary approaches (i.e., where various disciplines work in parallel within their professional boundaries) in somatic health care settings. Nevertheless, research is lacking on interdisciplinary approaches for alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment of hospitalized patients as these types of approaches are still uncommon. This study aims to evaluate an innovative interdisciplinary AUD treatment...

Introduction and aims

There is increasing interest and evidence for the use of cannabinoid medications in the treatment of cannabis use disorder, but little examination of the correlates of successful treatment. This paper is a secondary analysis of a randomised placebo-controlled trial of nabiximols for the treatment of cannabis use disorder (CUD), aiming to identify which client and treatment characteristics impact treatment engagement and outcomes.

Method

Bayesian multiple regression models were used to examine the impact of age, gender, duration of regular cannabis use, daily quantity...

Background

Novel public health interventions are needed to address the toxic drug supply and meet the needs of people who use drugs amidst the overdose crisis. Safer supply – low-barrier distribution of pharmaceutical grade substances – has been implemented in some jurisdictions to provide safer alternatives to the unregulated drug supply, yet no studies to date have explored professional stakeholder perspectives on this approach.

Methods

We used purposive sampling to recruit professional stakeholders (n = 17) from four locations in British Columbia, Ontario, and Nova Scotia, including...

Background

The COVID-19 emergency has tested the public health, medical, and public safety infrastructure of the United States (U.S.) in unprecedented ways. As the focal point for public health in their communities, local health departments (LHDs) were particularly impacted by the pandemic’s onset. The pandemic limited the scale and scope of local health department (LHD) work, redirecting resources to the response. However, the need for essential public health services—including substance use prevention—was not reduced.

Methods

Six quantitative data sources were examined, collected between...

Originally held on September 6, 2022, this webinar focuses on questions from new researchers and international researchers looking to expand their work.

Funding, publishing, policymaking, and advocacy are discussed.

Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines were originally published by CCSA in November 2011 and were the result of the work of alcohol research experts in Canada. Since then, substantial new research on the association between alcohol use and physical, mental and social harms has been completed. Many countries have updated their guidance on drinking to reflect these advancements in what is known about the risks and benefits associated with alcohol consumption.

The report is composed of three documents: the Public Summary, the Technical Summary and the Technical Report. 

• The Public...

Background

Appointment no-show and early dropout from treatment represent major challenges in outpatient substance use disorder treatment, adversely affecting clinical outcomes and health care productivity. In this quasi-experimental study, we examined how a brief reminder intervention for new patients before their first appointment affected treatment participation and retention. No-shows (not attending any sessions) and dropouts (discontinuation of initiated treatment because of three consecutively missed appointments) were compared between a period with pre-admission telephone calls...

Background

In somatic health care settings, interdisciplinary collaborations (where various disciplines work coordinated and interdependently toward shared goals) are considered to yield higher team effectiveness than multidisciplinary approaches (where various disciplines work in parallel within their professional boundaries). Nonetheless, research on multidisciplinary techniques for the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in hospitalised patients is limited since these approaches are relatively uncommon. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a novel multidisciplinary AUD treatment...

Background

Aftercare programs for people with substance use disorders (PWSUD) are frequently challenged with a number of overlapping obstacles, including uncertain policy consequences and a lack of resources. Despite demographic variety, service providers in South Africa are obligated to offer aftercare programs that effectively reintegrate people with PWSUD into society, the workforce, family, and community life, as specified by Act No. 70 of 2008. Little is known about the availability of aftercare services in South Africa, particularly in rural areas. This paper investigates service...

Background

Opioid overdose remains a public health crisis in diverse communities. Between 2019 and 2020, there was an almost 40% increase in drug fatalities primarily due to opioid analogues of both stimulants and opioids. Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD; e.g., buprenorphine) are effective, evidence-based treatments that can be delivered in office-based primary care settings. We investigated disparities in the proportion of national prescribers who have obtained a waiver issued to prescribe MOUD by demographic characteristics.

Methods

Data for the secondary data analyses were...

Background

Recently developed buprenorphine depot injections have the potential to reduce risk for diversion and misuse, and to increase adherence with fewer visits for supervised intake. However, it is unclear how patients perceive this new form of medication. The purpose of this study was to explore patients’ experiences of depot injections and their reasons for continuing, discontinuing, or declining depot injection treatment.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 32 people, 14 of whom had ongoing depot injection treatment, 11 who had discontinued depot...