Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of a medical safer supply program

The Safer Supply research project, led by Robin Lennox, Claire Bodkin, and Suzanne Turner, aims to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a medical safer supply program using prescription opioids for people with treatment-refractory opioid use disorder. Participants must be above 18 years old, residing in Hamilton, with ongoing opioid use while on appropriately dosed opioid agonist treatment or unable to achieve a therapeutic dose before receiving a daily oral hydromorphone prescription. We are wrapping up recruitment with a projected 50 individuals in the safer supply group and 10 individuals in the waitlist group. The two groups allow for some comparisons between having access to a safer (opioid) supply and not. In addition to baseline surveys and chart review, we are conducting interviews with both groups and begun the coding the transcripts for qualitative analysis. We have a patient advisory committee that offers content expertise to better tailor our project to our population.