Overdose escalation and the COVID-19 pandemic: An urgent reminder to innovate Canada’s response to the opioid crisis
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1.
Rusu D. Overdose escalation and the COVID-19 pandemic: An urgent reminder to innovate Canada’s response to the opioid crisis. UWOMJ [Internet]. 2021 Feb. 5 [cited 2024 Mar. 29];89(S). Available from: https://ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/uwomj/article/view/10917

Abstract

A ‘dual crisis’ situation in Canada has gained increasing attention in the past months, as deaths by opioid overdose have reached record highs during the COVID-19 pandemic.  This review consolidates preliminary literature from January to October 2020 on factors driving the overdose resurgence during the COVID-19 pandemic and interventions which may address them. Converging themes suggest contributions from pandemic-related disruptions to social structure, health risks, and healthcare. These changes have increased both personal and systemic risk factors to overdose, with longstanding gaps in overdose prevention strategies exacerbating their impact. Solutions to address baseline and pandemic-related barriers include novel, evidence-based drug policy changes and logistical adaptations of care to pandemic-imposed restrictions. As more data emerges, rigorous studies are needed to confirm which of the proposed factors are causative, and which interventions demonstrate efficacy. Future systematic reviews will help clarify the relative importance of each and provide more comprehensive guidance.

https://doi.org/10.5206/uwomj.v89iS1.10917
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