Illicit Drug Toxicity Deaths and the COVID-19 Pandemic in British Columbia (Dec 2021) Knowledge Update Publication

Overdose in BC during COVID-19 (March 2021) Infographic

Overdose & Risk Factors for Coronavirus Disease 2019

(2021)  Infographic  Knowledge Update  Publication

Illicit drug toxicity deaths

• Map: Illicit drug toxicity deaths (Updated monthly)  
• 2015-2024 Reported by HSDA  Map (Updated monthly)  
  
• 2015-2024 Reported by LHA  Map (Updated triannually)  
• 2023 Reported by CHSA  Map (Updated annually)  ‎
  

Paramedic-attended overdose events

•  Map: BC Paramedic-Attended Illegal Drug Toxicity Event Rates by LHA  (Updated semi-annually)  
  

Opioid Agonist Therapy prescribers

• Map: OAT Prescriber Density Rates by LHA (Updated semi-annually)
  

Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Relation to Substance Use Disorders (October 2021) Publication

Drug overdose and the risk of cardiovascular diseases: a nested case-control study (Oct 2021) Publication

Neurological Injury Following Overdose (Jan 2020)

Knowledge Update

Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) Initiations Post-overdose from Illegal Drugs in B.C. (Jul 2018)  

Knowledge Update

Collaborative Data Governance to Support First Nations-led Overdose Surveillance and Data Analysis 

(January 2021)  Publication

Toxicology & Prescribed Medication Histories Among People Experiencing Fatal Illicit Drug Overdose in B.C. (Aug 2020)  Publication

Prescription-related Risk Factors for Opioid-related Overdoses in the Era of Fentanyl Contamination of Illicit Drug Supply (May 2020)  Case-control Study

Prescription History & Toxicology Findings Among People Who Died of an Illicit Drug Overdose in B.C. (Oct 2019) 

Knowledge Update  Infographic

Effects of the New Prescribing Standards in B.C. on Consumption of Opioids & Benzodiazepines & Z Drugs (May 2019)  Publication

Patterns & History of Prescription Drug Use Among Opioid-related Drug Overdose Cases in B.C. (Jan 2019) 

Publication

Recent Initiation, Discontinuation & Tapering Patterns of Prescription Opioids for Pain Among People Who Experienced a Drug-related Overdose in B.C. (Aug 2018) 

Knowledge Update

Identifying Time Varying Risk Factors for Non-fatal Overdose (Apr 2021)  Knowledge Update  Publication

Modelling the Combined Impact of Interventions in Averting Deaths During a Synthetic-opioid Overdose Epidemic (Jun 2019)  Publication

Acceptability of Technological Solutions for Overdose Monitoring: Perspectives of People Who Use Drugs (Oct 2019)  Publication

Evaluating the effects of Risk Mitigation Guidance opioid and stimulant dispensations on mortality and acute care visits during dual public health emergencies (January 2024) Knowledge Update ; Publication

Risk Mitigation Guidance (RMG) Evaluation Findings, March 2020 to December 2021 Infographic

Evaluation of risk mitigation measures for people with substance use disorders to address the dual public health crises of COVID-19 and overdose in British Columbia Publication

Toxicology Supplement: Post-mortem detection of hydromorphone among persons identified as having an illicit drug toxicity death since the introduction of Risk Mitigation Guidance prescribing (December 2021) Knowledge Update

Post-mortem detection of hydromorphone among persons identified as having an illicit drug toxicity death since the introduction of Risk Mitigation Guidance prescribing (October 2021) Knowledge Update 

Preliminary Findings from the 2017 B.C. Provincial Overdose Cohort Refresh (May 2019) 

Knowledge Update

Key Recommendations (Apr 2017)

Report

Response Strategy (Feb 2016)

Report 

Rural & Indigenous Action Exchange 

Report (Oct 2019)

BC Overdose Action Exchange

Report (Jun 2018)

Report (Aug 2017)

Findings and knowledge summaries for each year the survey was administered are published on the Harm Reduction Client Survey page. 

A Drug Use Survey Among Clients of Harm Reduction Sites Across BC (Apr 2014)  Publication

Decreasing HIV Infections in People Who Use Drugs by Injection in BC (Mar 2011)  Publication

Youth

Opioid Use Disorder among Youth in BC (June 2023) Infographic

Reorienting Risk to Resilience: Street-involved Youth Perspectives on Preventing the Transition to Injection Drug Use (Aug 2015)  Publication

Finding a Voice: Participatory Research with Street-involved Youth in the Youth Injection Prevention Project (Sept 2014)  Publication

Potent Sedatives in Opioids in BC: Implications for Resuscitation, & Benzodiazepine & Etizolam Withdrawal (May 2021)  Publication

Known Fentanyl Use Among Clients of Harm Reduction Sites in B.C. (Mar 2020)

Publication  Infographic

Assessing the Risk of Occupational Fentanyl Exposures in OPS & SCS Sites in B.C. (Aug 2018)

Knowledge Update

A 52-year-old Man with Fentanyl-induced Muscle Rigidity (Apr 2018)

Publication

Why the FUSS (Fentanyl Urine Screen Study)? A Cross-sectional Survey to Characterize an Emerging Threat to People Who Use Drugs in B.C. (Nov 2015)

Publication 

Patient Perspectives of Methadone Formulation Change in B.C. (Jan 2016)

Publication

What we know about stimulant use and drug poisoning in BC (Jan 2023) Infographic

Concurrent use of opioids and stimulants and risk of fatal overdose: A cohort study (Nov 2022) Publication

Crystal Methamphetamine Use in BC: A Study of People who Access Harm Reduction Services (May 2021)  Publication

Genetic Determinants of Cocaine-associated Agranulocytosis (Jun 2015)

Research Article

Levamisole Tainted Cocaine Causing Severe Neutropenia in Alb. & B.C. (Nov 2009)

Case Report

Toxic Leukoencephalopathy (Feb 2021)

Fact Sheet

Overdose Prevention Services (OPS)

BC Overdose Prevention Services Guide (2019) (PDF)

eOPS

This document provides guidance on providing overdose prevention services outside of an established supervised consumption or overdose prevention site (SCS/OPS) such as in acute care, shelters, supportive housing or other social service settings. This guidance supports staff who may receive requests from patients, clients or residents to observe substance use and respond to overdose or may recognize the benefit of providing this service.

Provincial Episodic Overdose Prevention Service (eOPS) Protocol (2023) (PDF)

Communicable disease prevention

This document provides guidance on infection prevention practices to reduce communicable disease transmission while ensuring access to drug poisoning prevention and response in OPS/SCS settings:

• Communicable Disease Prevention: Responding to Drug Poisoning at Overdose Prevention Services and Supervised Consumption Sites (PDF) - Updated January 2023

• CIE Semi-Annual Report (Feb 2017) (PDF)

Peer Engagement and Evaluation Project

• One Page Info Sheet (PDF) and Infographic (PDF)
• Orientation & Training Presentation (July 2015) (PDF)
• Team Meeting: Project Planning (Oct 2016) (PDF)
• Training: Research 101 (Feb 2016) (PDF)

• Peer Engagement in the BCCDC Harm Reduction Program (Jan 2021) Report (PDF)
• Peer Engagement in Harm Reduction: Development, Implementation & Evaluation of Best Practice Guidelines for BC (June 2019) - PEEP Final Report (PDF)
• Input on Indigenous Peer Coordinator Positions (Apr 2018) Report (PDF)
• Peer Payment Standards: For Short-Term Engagement (Feb 2018) Report (PDF)
• Engaging People Who Use Drugs in Policy & Program Development: A Review of the Literature (Nov 2012) Publication (PDF)

• Peer Engagement in Harm Reduction: Development, Implementation & Evaluation of the Peer Engagement Best Practice Guidelines for BC Health Authorities Reduction (Jun 2017) Slide Presentation (PDF)
• Peer Engagement in Harm Reduction Strategies & Services: A Critical Case Study & Evaluation Framework (May 2016) Summary (PDF) and Publication

THN Program Evaluation

• Evaluation (Dec 2018)
• Evaluation (Jul 2016)
• Evaluation (Mar 2015) and Summary (Mar 2015)

THN Program in Pharmacies

• Evaluation (Sep 2019)

THN Program in Pilot BC Corrections Facilities

• Evaluation (Oct 2016) (PDF)
• A Quantitative & Qualitative Evaluation of the BC THN Program (Jul 2014) Publication (PDF)

FORB program evaluation

• Evaluation (Jul 2019)

Deaths averted

• Impact of the THN Program on Preventing Illegal Drug-related Overdose Deaths (Mar 2018) Knowledge Update (PDF)
• Distribution of THN Kits During a Synthetic Opioid Epidemic in B.C. (Apr 2018) Study

Law Enforcement

• Qualitative Assessment of THN Participant & Law Enforcement Interactions (May 2016) Publication

• The Implementation and Role of a Staff Naloxone Program for Non-profit Community Based Sites in BC (May 2021) Study Publication
• Accessing THN and the Role of Community Pharmacies (Sep 2020) Publication
• Correlates of THN Kit Possession Among People Who Use Drugs (Dec 2019) Publication
• Lessons Learned from Ramping up the THN Program During a Public Health Emergency (Oct 2019) Study
• Correlates of Naloxone Kit Possession: Findings from the 2018 Harm Reduction Client Survey Oct 2019) Infographic (PDF)

• ‎Correlates of Seeking Emergency Medical Help in the Event of an Overdose (Findings from the THN Program) (Sep 2019) Publication
• Two Studies Evaluate Barriers to Contacting Emergency Services During an Overdose (Jul 2016) Summary (PDF)
• Predictors of Seeking Emergency Medical Help During Overdose Events in a Provincial Naloxone Distribution Program (Jun 2016) Publication