Overview

Women who use substances in pregnancy are an under-studied group that face unique contexts and barriers to services and supports. Left untreated, severe substance use disorders in pregnancy can present significant harms both to mother and baby, including overdose and/or mortality. It is imperative that all women have access to treatments and services that are effective, safe, and acceptable. The goal of our research is to generate evidence to support treatments for pregnant women who use substances, that will allow women with substance use disorders to bond with, and parent their newborns.

Publications

Perinatal Injectable Opioid Agonist Therapy (iOAT) Administration: A Case Series
Journal of Addiction Medicine
Patricelli, C.J. and Chai, J. and Gordon, S. and Gouin, I.J. and Carter, N. and Stewart, K. and Paquette, V. and Urbanoski, K. and Albert, A.
DOI: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000001152
2023

Breastfeeding on Injectable Opioid Agonist Therapy: A Case Report
Journal of Addiction Medicine
Patricelli, C.J. and Gouin, I.J. and Gordon, S. and Carter, N. and Albert, A. and Paquette, V. and Stewart, K. and George, S. and Urbanoski, K.
DOI: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000001055
2023

Research

Injectable Opioid Agonist Therapy in a Perinatal Population
Injectable opioid agonist therapy (iOAT) is an evidence-based treatment option for severe opioid use disorder (OUD). It is the highest intensity treatment option currently available in Canada for those with severe OUD, and has been successfully introduced in specialized clinics as a way to stabilize those for whom oral opioid agonist treatments have not been effective. However, there is a gap in the literature concerning iOAT administration efficacy and outcomes in perinatal populations. The iOAT-APP study aims to gather critical practice-based evidence for the administration of iOAT in pregnancy.

Research Group Members

Gurleen Dhami, INSPIRE TRAINEE
Gabi Tremblay