Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

The drug overdose crisis affects individuals, families and communities across Canada. Despite substantial federal and provincial efforts, drug-related harms and deaths continue to increase. Pharmacy professionals (pharmacists and pharmacy technicians) are the most accessible healthcare providers in Canada. They are well-positioned to make essential contributions to the response to drug overdose. However, little is known about their role in supporting public health efforts, including the extent of their engagement in initiatives and the potential to expand their scope of practice further to deliver new services. Therefore, this research aims to explore the role of pharmacy professionals in the response to the drug overdose crisis. This study has three main objectives: 1) examine pharmacy professionals' public health roles in the drug overdose crisis, 2) identify factors shaping pharmacy practice in this area, and 3) outline new ways to engage pharmacy professionals in reducing overdose-related morbidity and mortality. Using a patient-oriented approach, the study design includes a scoping review of the literature reporting the implementation of harm reduction services for people who use drugs provided by pharmacy professionals, a cross-sectional survey of pharmacy professionals to examine practices and attitudes, and an interpretative description study that will interview pharmacy professionals, decision-makers, and people who use drugs to explore perspectives on roles and experiences accessing pharmacy services. Patient partners (the Inner City Health and Wellness Program's community advisory group and other community partners) will be engaged and collaborate in all stages of the research process. This research will shed light on pharmacy professionals' current and future roles in response to the drug overdose crisis and inform pharmacy education, practice, and policy recommendations that support access to equity-oriented pharmacy care for people who use drugs.