Health xChange: Engaging drug checking with drug user knowledge in response to illicit drug overdose скачать в хорошем качестве

Health xChange: Engaging drug checking with drug user knowledge in response to illicit drug overdose

The rate of overdose deaths in BC has more than doubled since 2016, when illicit drug overdose was declared a public health emergency. The concentration of fentanyl in street opioids varies greatly, and benzodiazepines or tranquilizers are often included. In this context, people who use drugs develop survival strategies and ways to share knowledge about the drug supply. By engaging peers and harm reduction workers, the Substance drug checking project will create and assess new ways to link drug user knowledge and drug checking data within Island Health’s harm reduction and overdose response strategies. Dr. Bruce Wallace is a professor with the Victoria School of Social Work  and a scientist with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR). He co-leads the Vancouver Island Drug Checking Project (aka Substance) with Dennis Hore in chemistry and computer science. Working with Island Health’s Griffin Russell, they are seeking new ways to link drug checking evidence with harm reduction and peer worker’s experiential knowledge to create and evaluate new knowledge tools and overdose prevention strategies grounded in the synthesis of experiential knowledge with drug checking technologies. To grow research capacity on Vancouver Island, Health Research BC partnered with Island Health and the Victoria Hospitals Foundation for the first Health xChange in Victoria, BC. This free public knowledge exchange and networking event was the first to showcase the innovative solutions transforming health care on Vancouver Island.  Members of the public learned more about local health research. Researchers, clinicians and health care professionals discovered opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing. Network with the scientists, clinicians, researchers, patients, partners, and others at the cutting edge of BC health research.  Using a Pecha Kucha format of 20 slides presented for only 20 seconds, each 6 minute and 40 second presentation was delivered in a highly accessible and engaging fashion, including opportunity for questions. During this hybrid event, health research leaders presented a broad spectrum of cutting-edge research projects that are enhancing patient care and health outcomes.