The International journal on drug policy
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Int. J. Drug Policy · Jul 2019
Why aren't Australian pharmacists supplying naloxone? Findings from a qualitative study.
Opioid overdose is a significant public health issue among people who use pharmaceutical opioids and/or heroin. One response to reducing overdose deaths is to expand public access to naloxone. The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration down-scheduled naloxone from prescription only (S4) to pharmacist only over-the-counter (OTC, schedule 3) in February 2016. There is little research examining pharmacists' perspectives or experiences of this change. ⋯ Pharmacy provision of OTC naloxone offers an important opportunity to reduce overdose mortality. Our study suggests this opportunity is yet to be realised and highlights several individual- and structural-level impediments hindering the expansion of public access to naloxone via community pharmacies. There is a need to develop strategies to improve pharmacists' knowledge of OTC naloxone and opioid overdose as well as to address other logistical and cultural barriers that limit naloxone provision in pharmacy settings. These need to be addressed at the individual level (training) as well as the system level (information, regulation and supply).
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Int. J. Drug Policy · Jul 2019
Prevalence and correlates of selling illicit cannabis among people who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada: A ten-year prospective cohort study.
The illicit selling and use of cannabis is prevalent among marginalized people who use illicit drugs (PWUD). Given that participation in illicit drug markets has been previously associated with a range of health and social harms, we sought to examine the predictors of selling cannabis among PWUD in Vancouver, Canada, a setting with a de facto legalized cannabis market, on the eve of the planned implementation of legalized non-medical cannabis including measures to regulate the existing illicit market. ⋯ These findings support existing evidence indicating that selling illicit cannabis is often a survival-driven strategy to support the basic needs and substance use of some PWUD. Our findings suggest jurisdictions with planned or impending cannabis legalization and regulation should consider the vulnerability of PWUD when seeking to eradicate illicit cannabis markets, for example, in setting criminal penalties for selling cannabis outside of regulatory frameworks.