Four decades of overdose prevention centres: lessons for the future from a realist review.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Overdose prevention centres (OPCs) are spaces where people can consume previously obtained illicit drugs under the supervision of staff who can intervene to prevent and manage overdose. They have been provided in Europe and elsewhere for nearly 40 years, initially in response to the epidemic of HIV/AIDS. We can learn from their operation history to inform future developments in harm reduction services.

Methods

We carried out a realist review of 391 documents, reported according to the RAMESES I guidelines, and carried out realist synthesis of these documents.

Results

We present a full realist programme theory of OPCs, with a diagrammatic logic model, of how the contexts and mechanisms of OPCs combine to produce various outcomes for service users and their c

SUBMITTER: Keemink JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11924616 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature