CAPUD’s Academic Research Project
CAPUD has been working with academic researchers all over the world to advance drug policy.
We received funding to do two CIHR COVID-19 Knowledge Synthesis grants.
Securing Safe Supply During COVID-19 and Beyond: Scoping Review and Knowledge Mobilization
A Scoping Review of Ethical Considerations When Responding to the Needs of People Who Use Drugs During Public Health Emergencies
Final Scoping Review
Key Messages
There is little published guidance (normative or descriptive) in the academic and grey literature to support ethical analysis and decision-making about the needs of people who use drugs in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic or similar previous pandemic public health emergencies. Future research needs to be conducted which centre the experiences of diverse communities of people who use drugs.
Overall, few academic and grey resources explicitly discussed ethical issues related to the needs of people who use drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic and the other similar public health emergencies (zero resources met our inclusion criteria). Some emerging guidance (three resources met out inclusions criteria) points to stigma and access as key ethical issues and considerations related to professional ethics.
Final Draft Scoping Review
Key Messages
Restrictive laws and fear of discipline by professional bodies appear to limit access to safe supply.
Facilitators such as regulatory exemptions are insufficient by themselves, to improve access to safe supply.
In some respects, there is broad agreement between the literature reviewed and PWUD expertise whereas, in other cases, there is a disconnect between the bodies of knowledge about the barriers to implementing safe supply. To ensure this disconnect does not misdirect resources toward initiatives that do not respond to the barriers that are encountered, PWUD should be represented and integrated directly into efforts to improve access to safe supply.