Team Grant: Research in Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (Letter of Intent) Non-Medical Prescription Opioid (PO) Use in Canada: Epidemiology, Consequences and Interventions: An Interdisciplinary Team Project

Several indicators - including relevant projections based on US data - are suggesting that the non-medical use of prescription opioids (POs), and related harms (e.g., morbidity and mortality) are a rapidly growing phenomenon in Canada. However, key empirical data to systematically analyze and understand the phenomenon, and inform evidence-based interventions (e.g., prevention, treatment, policy) are missing. This NET, consisting of investigators of multiple research disciplines/pillars and institutions across Canada, proposes a program of inter-linked research projects to inform interventions development in the area of non-medical PO use. These include: Epidemiology of non-medical PO use in general and street populations; mapping of medical PO availability/dispensing across Canadian jurisdictions; sub-projects into non-medical PO sourcing routes and poly-drug use among street drug users; monitoring of PO-related mortality (i.e., poisoning deaths); feasibility of brief interventions for problematic PO use. A knowledge translation (KT) group consisting of representatives from key governmental, non-governmental and professional stakeholders/institutions will form the basis for systematic KT of research results into interventions domains.