Abby Hutchison

Topic

Accessing and Implementing Community Drug Checking in Non-Urban Vancouver Island: Contextual Factors to Consider

School of Public Health and Social Policy

Date & location

• Thursday, July 27, 2023
• 9:30 A.M.
• Virtual Defence

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Karen Urbanoski, School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria (Co-Supervisor)
• Dr. Bruce Wallace, School of Social Work, UVic (Co-Supervisor)

External Examiner

• Dr. Jeff Masuda, School of Public Health and Social Policy, UVic

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Daniel German, Department of Computer Science, UVic

Abstract

The criminalized drug supply in British Columbia and, on a larger scale, in North America is unregulated and leaves those who access the supply to navigate consumption of substances that may be of unknown composition. Drug checking has increasingly been used as a harm reduction measure that provides individuals with greater information about the substances they consume, share, manufacture, and distribute. There is a growing body of evidence related to the acceptability, implementation, service delivery models, and impacts of drug checking. However, much of this research is centered in urban regions. This follows a trend of inequitable access to harm reduction services within non-urban centers with a concentration of harm reduction resources and research in urban regions.

This research focuses on the experience of those who will be accessing and implementing drug checking, with specific focus on the context of non-urban geographic location informs these activities. Guided by principles of social constructivism and community-based research, we conducted 39 in-depth interviews. Data collection tools were informed by the outer context domain of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, to capture experiences related to service implementation and accessibility of drug checking within a non-urban setting.

We identified six core factors related to non-urban context: community and political climate; lack of anonymity and experiences of stigma; social groups and personal relationships; resource availability; geographic profile; and criminalization. Consideration to these factors in drug checking program development and implementation can support equity-oriented services within non-urban settings.