Eliana Kaplowitz1, Alexandria Macmadu2, Traci C Green3, Justin Berk4, Josiah D Rich5, Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein6. 1. The Center for Health + Justice Transformation, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA; Center of Biomedical Research Excellence on Opioids and Overdose, The Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA. Electronic address: EKaplowitz@lifespan.org. 2. The Center for Health + Justice Transformation, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA. 3. Center of Biomedical Research Excellence on Opioids and Overdose, The Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA; The Heller School of Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA; Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI, USA. 4. Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI, USA; Rhode Island Department of Correction, Providence, RI, USA. 5. The Center for Health + Justice Transformation, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA; Center of Biomedical Research Excellence on Opioids and Overdose, The Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA; Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI, USA. 6. The Center for Health + Justice Transformation, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in overdose deaths involving illicitly manufactured fentanyl. The risk of death due to fentanyl exposure is far higher for people without adequate tolerance, such as those being released from incarceration. However, little is known about knowledge and perceptions of fentanyl among people who are incarcerated. METHODS: We conducted 40 semi-structured qualitative interviews with people who were incarcerated at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC). We explored the impressions of, preferences for and experiences with fentanyl among these people. Analysis employed a general, inductive approach using NVivo 12. RESULTS: We found that a majority of the participants were familiar with fentanyl, sought to avoid it and utilized harm reduction techniques when using drugs and taking treatment with medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) to reduce their risk of overdose. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that broad access to MOUD, especially for incarcerated people, is increasingly necessary in the era of fentanyl, both to aid people seeking recovery due to the increased overdose risk of drug use and to reduce overdose morbidity for people who use drugs.
INTRODUCTION: In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in overdose deaths involving illicitly manufactured fentanyl. The risk of death due to fentanyl exposure is far higher for people without adequate tolerance, such as those being released from incarceration. However, little is known about knowledge and perceptions of fentanyl among people who are incarcerated. METHODS: We conducted 40 semi-structured qualitative interviews with people who were incarcerated at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC). We explored the impressions of, preferences for and experiences with fentanyl among these people. Analysis employed a general, inductive approach using NVivo 12. RESULTS: We found that a majority of the participants were familiar with fentanyl, sought to avoid it and utilized harm reduction techniques when using drugs and taking treatment with medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) to reduce their risk of overdose. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that broad access to MOUD, especially for incarcerated people, is increasingly necessary in the era of fentanyl, both to aid people seeking recovery due to the increased overdose risk of drug use and to reduce overdose morbidity for people who use drugs.
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