How changing drug supplies affect overdose risk and treatment in Vancouver
An ethno-epidemiological study of the implementation and effectiveness of an innovative and comprehensive response to the evolving overdose epidemic
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA · NIH-11088722
This project looks at how shifts in drugs like fentanyl, stimulants, and novel psychoactive substances change overdose risk and treatment for people who use drugs in Vancouver.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (VANCOUVER, CANADA) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11088722 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will combine interviews, field observation, and clinical/cohort data to learn how drug use and the local drug supply are changing. They will track exposures to fentanyl, stimulants, and novel psychoactive substances, and record treatment experiences and outcomes for people using opioids and stimulants. The team will look at how community prevention services and opioid agonist treatments are working in practice and how they could be adapted. Findings are intended to help shape services that better protect people from overdose in a rapidly changing drug environment.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults in Vancouver who use opioids, especially those exposed to fentanyl, stimulants, or novel psychoactive substances, are ideal candidates for this work.
Not a fit: People who do not use these substances or who live outside Vancouver or Canada are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help tailor overdose prevention and treatment services to better protect people who use drugs from fentanyl-related and polysubstance overdoses.
How similar studies have performed: Vancouver's prior harm-reduction programs and some opioid agonist treatments have lowered overdose deaths, but applying an ethno-epidemiological approach to fentanyl-stimulant polysubstance use and NPS exposure is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
VANCOUVER, CANADA
- UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA — VANCOUVER, CANADA (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: KERR, THOMAS — UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
- Study coordinator: KERR, THOMAS
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.