Adapting the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Healthcare Providers to Measure Opioid-Related Stigma.

The opioid crisis in Canada continues to cause a devastating number of deaths. Community-based naloxone programs have been identified as one of the solutions for combatting this crisis; however, there are disparities in which pharmacies stock and offer naloxone. Opioid-related stigma is a major barrier for limited naloxone distribution through pharmacies.

Protocol for the Optimizing Naloxone Dispensing in Pharmacies (ONDP) Online Continuing Education Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The number of opioid-related deaths in Canada has steadily increased since 2016 and the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened this trend. Naloxone has been pivotal for reducing opioid-related harms and death, and pharmacists play a crucial role in ensuring the supply of naloxone to Canadians through community pharmacies. However, naloxone dispensing by pharmacists is not optimal; in fact, in Ontario, only 50% of pharmacists offer naloxone, despite national guidelines that pharmacists should offer naloxone to everyone with an opioid prescription.