Abstract
To test if polysubstance use profiles and drug-related outcomes differ between those receiving and not receiving opioid substitution therapies (OST) among people who inject drugs (PWID). An annual cross-sectional, sentinel sample of PWID across Australia. Data came from 3 years (2011-13) of the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS). A total of 2673 participants who injected drugs from the combined national IDRS samples of 2011 (n=868), 2012 (n=922) and 2013 (n=883). Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to summarize participants' self-reported use of 18 types of substances, with the resulting polysubstance use profiles then associated with participant experience of a number of drug-related outcomes. Polysubstance use profiles exhibiting a broad range of substance use were generally at increased risk of negative drug-related outcomes, whether or not participants were receiving OST, including thrombosis among OST receivers [odds ratio (OR)=2.13, 95% confidence intervals (CI)=1.09-4.17], injecting with used needles among OST receivers and non-receivers, respectively (OR=2.78, 95% CI=1.50-5.13; OR=2.15, 95% CI=1.34-3.45) and violent criminal offences among OST receivers and non-receivers, respectively (OR =2.30, 95% CI=1.16-4.58; OR=1.87, 95% CI=1.14-3.07). An important exception was non-fatal overdose which was related specifically to a class of PWID who were not receiving OST and used morphine frequently (OR=1.83, 95% CI=1.06-3.17) CONCLUSION: Regardless of opioid substitution therapies usage, people who inject drugs who use a broad-range of substances experience greater levels of injecting-related injuries and poorer health outcomes and are more likely to engage in criminal activity than other groups of people who inject drugs.
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