No drug checking updates this week in terms of unusual findings, trends or alerts.
Drug Checking Pilot - VCH will begin rollout of a take home fentanyl test strip research project starting the week of April 29th and rolling for 3 weeks. Peers will be enrolling participants at the Molson, Overdose Prevention Society, St. Paul’s Hospital OPS and Insite during drug checking shift times.
Mon - Insite - 1-5pm
Tues - Molson - 1 5pm
Weds - OPS 9am - 12pm, Insite - 3-7pm and SPH - 1-4pm
Thurs - OPS 9am - 12pm, Molson - 1 - 5pm
Fri - Insite - 1 - 5pm , SPH - 1 - 4pm
Participants will receive $5 gift card for their involvement. There is no limit of how many tests a participant can do. Currently fentanyl test strips are only available at supervised consumption sites and overdose prevention sites. They are not given away to people for personal use. VCH are conducting this research to learn if providing people with take home drug checking supplies may allow them to use more safely in other settings. This research project is a collaboration of the BCCDC, Interior Health and VCH. VCH Overdose Emergency Response Nurse Educator, Sébastien Payan (Sebastien.payan@vch.ca), will be on the ground supporting Peers.