Point-of-care HCV RNA testing improves hepatitis C testing rates and allows rapid treatment initiation among people who inject drugs attending a medically supervised injecting facility.

Background: To achieve hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination targets, simplified care engaging people who inject drugs is required. We evaluated whether fingerstick HCV RNA point-of-care testing (PoCT) increased the proportion of clients attending a supervised injecting facility who were tested for hepatitis C.

Methods: Prospective single-arm study with recruitment between 9 November 2020 and 28 January 2021 and follow-up to 31 July 2021.

Eliminating hepatitis C in Australia: a novel model of hepatitis C testing and treatment for people who inject drugs at a medically supervised injecting facility.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of testing and treating people who inject drugs at a supervised injecting facility for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting, Participants: People who inject drugs who attended the Melbourne supervised injecting facility, 30 June 2018 - 30 June 2020.

The onset and severity of acute opioid toxicity in heroin overdose cases: a retrospective cohort study at a supervised injecting facility in Melbourne, Australia.

Aim: To differentiate the severity of acute opioid toxicity and describe both the clinical and physiological features associated with heroin overdose in a cohort of witnessed overdose cases.

Methods: Witnessed heroin overdose cases over a 12-month period (30 June 2018 - 30 June 2019) at the Medically Supervised Injecting Room (MSIR) in Melbourne, Australia were examined. The severity of acute opioid toxicity was classified according to the level of clinical intervention required to manage the overdose cases where an escalating level of care was provided.

Adapting harm reduction services during COVID-19: lessons from the supervised injecting facilities in Australia.

The COVID-19 crisis has had profound impacts on health service provision, particularly those providing client facing services. Supervised injecting facilities and drug consumption rooms across the world have been particularly challenged during the pandemic, as have their client group-people who consume drugs. Several services across Europe and North America closed due to difficulties complying with physical distancing requirements.

Knowledge of naloxone and take-home naloxone programs among a sample of people who inject drugs in Australia: Variations across capital cities.

Introduction And Aims: Take-home naloxone (THN) programs targeting people who inject drugs (PWID) have been running in some Australian states and territories since 2012. In this study, we aimed to determine the extent to which PWID in the capital cities of all Australian states and territories are aware of naloxone and THN programs, whether awareness of these programs has changed over time.

Design And Methods: Data were obtained from cross-sectional surveys of a total of 2088 PWID conducted annually as part of the Illicit Drug Reporting System from 2013 to 2015.

Blood-borne virus transmission in an urban, culturally diverse neighbourhood: results from a cross-sectional bio-behavioural survey using innovative outreach methods in a hard-to-reach population.

Unlabelled: Background Following a HIV outbreak among Aboriginal people in a culturally diverse inner-city suburb of Melbourne, a blood-borne virus (BBV) screening program was conducted to inform public health interventions to prevent transmission and facilitate timely diagnosis and linkage to care.

Methods: In August-September 2014, community health workers recruited people who inject drugs (PWID) from a local needle and syringe program. Participants were tested for hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), HIV and syphilis and completed a bio-behavioural questionnaire.

How does the use of multiple needles/syringes per injecting episode impact on the measurement of individual level needle and syringe program coverage?

Background: Recent work by McCormack et al. (2016) showed that the inclusion of syringe stockpiling improves the measurement of individual-level syringe coverage. We explored whether including the use of a new parameter, multiple sterile syringes per injecting episode, further improves coverage measures.

Syringe Stockpiling by Persons Who Inject Drugs: An Evaluation of Current Measures for Needle and Syringe Program Coverage.

Needle and syringe program (NSP) coverage is commonly used to assess NSP effectiveness. However, existing measures don't capture whether persons who inject drugs (PWIDs) stockpile syringes, an important and novel aspect of NSP coverage. In this study, we determine the extent of stockpiling in a sample of Australian PWIDs and assess whether including stockpiling enhances NSP coverage measures.

Heavy alcohol consumption among marginalised African refugee young people in Melbourne, Australia: motivations for drinking, experiences of alcohol-related problems and strategies for managing drinking.

Objective: Little is known about substance use among resettled refugee populations. This study aimed to describe motivations for drinking, experiences of alcohol-related problems and strategies for managing drinking among marginalised African refugee young people in Melbourne, Australia.

Design: Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 16 self-identified African refugees recruited from street-based settings in 2012-2013.

Can differences in the type, nature or amount of polysubstance use explain the increased risk of non-fatal overdose among psychologically distressed people who inject drugs?

Background: This study investigates whether the type, nature or amount of polysubstance use can explain the increased risk of non-fatal overdose among people who inject drugs with severe psychological distress.

Methods: Data came from three years (2011-2013) of the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS), an annual sentinel sample of injecting drug users across Australia (n=2673). Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used on 14 drug types to construct five latent factors, each representing a type of polysubstance use.

Multiply disadvantaged: Health and service utilisation factors faced by homeless injecting drug consumers in Australia.

Introduction And Aims: Homelessness status is strongly correlated with higher rates of substance use. Few studies, however, examine the complex relationship between housing status and substance use in people who inject drugs (PWID). This study extends previous research by comparing the physical and mental health status and service utilisation rates between stably housed and homeless PWID.

Oral health-related quality of life among an Australian sample of people who inject drugs.

Objectives: People who inject drugs (PWID) have poor oral health. However, their oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is unknown. Our study was designed to measure the OHRQoL of PWID.

Experiences of and attitudes toward injecting drug use among marginalized African migrant and refugee youth in Melbourne, Australia.

Little is known about injecting drug use (IDU) among people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Australia. We interviewed 18 young people of African ethnicity (6 current/former injectors, 12 never injectors) about exposure and attitudes to IDU. Exposure to IDU was common, with IDU characterized as unnatural, risky and immoral.