The need to prioritize research, policy, and practice to address the overdose epidemic in smaller settings in Canada.

The majority of research and policy directives targeting opioid use and overdose prevention are based in larger urban settings and not easily adaptable to smaller Canadian settings (i.e., small- to mid-sized cities and rural areas).

Mobile supervised consumption services in Rural British Columbia: lessons learned.

Background: In 2016, a public health emergency was declared in British Columbia due to an unprecedented number of illicit drug overdose deaths. Injection drug use was implicated in approximately one third of overdose deaths. An innovative delivery model using mobile supervised consumption services (SCS) was piloted in a rural health authority in BC with the goals of preventing overdose deaths, reducing public drug use, and connecting clients to health services.

The impact of low-threshold methadone maintenance treatment on mortality in a Canadian setting.

Background: Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) is among the most effective treatment modalities available for the management of opioid use disorder. However, the effect of MMT on mortality, and optimal strategies for delivering methadone are less clear. This study sought to estimate the effect of low-threshold MMT and its association with all-cause mortality among persons who inject drugs (PWID) in a setting where methadone is widely available through primary care physicians and community pharmacies at no cost through the setting's universal medical insurance plan.

Dose-response relationship between methadone dose and adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-positive people who use illicit opioids.

Background And Aims: For HIV-positive individuals who use illicit opioids, engagement in methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) can contribute to improved HIV treatment outcomes. However, to our knowledge, the role of methadone dosing in adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) has not yet been investigated. We sought to examine the relationship between methadone dose and ART adherence among a cohort of people who use illicit opioids.

Ongoing impact of HIV infection on mortality among people who inject drugs despite free antiretroviral therapy.

Aims: To determine the impact of HIV infection on mortality over time among people who inject drugs (PWID) in settings with free HIV/AIDS care.

Design And Setting: Prospective cohort study of PWID in Vancouver, Canada, recruited between May 1996 and December 2011. We ascertained morality rates and causes of death through a confidential linkage with the provincial vital statistics registry.