Abstract
BackgroundThis article highlights the experiences of a unique group. In January 2011, Dave Murray organized a group of participants from the North American Opiate Medication Initiative (NAOMI) heroin-assisted treatment clinical trials from 2005 to 2008 in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver (DTES), B.C., Canada. The NAOMI Patients Association (NPA) is an independent group that currently meets every Saturday in the DTES. Currently, all members of the NPA are former participants in the heroin stream of the clinical trial. The NPA offers support, education, and advocacy to its members.MethodsDrawing on brainstorming sessions and focus groups that were conducted in the summer of 2011, this paper highlights the experiences of NPA members in their own words.ResultsThe findings provide a lens to understand how becoming a research subject for the NAOMI trial impacted the lives of NPA members, both positive and negative. The NPA members discuss ethics, consent, recommendations for future HAT programs and studies, and ongoing advocacy.
Highlights
This article highlights the experiences of a unique group
This paper provides a brief history of Canadian drug policy and heroin-assisted treatment in order to contextualize the NAOMI Patients Association (NPA)’s experience
It is too soon to know the full outcome of their advocacy; the NPA hopes that this paper and their earlier Report [1] will guide future research studies and the setting up of permanent heroin maintenance programs in Canada and elsewhere
Summary
The findings provide a lens to understand how becoming a research subject for the NAOMI trial impacted the lives of NPA members, both positive and negative. Through which the NPA provides insight into the lives of their members during the NAOMI clinical trial both within and outside of their role as drug users and research subjects. Heroin prescription is not unusual: the U.K. has long had heroin prescription as part of its addiction treatment services, and in the U.S, a number of heroin/ morphine clinics were opened following prohibition These public clinics were eventually closed down as the U.S moved towards a more prohibitionist and criminal law model of drug policy and, at that time, little else was put into place to help people addicted to narcotics other than prison programs such as Lexington [36]. To do otherwise would breach the Charter rights of patients needing medical care” [47]
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