Harm reduction

Question 1

Define harm reduction

Answer 1

interventions aimed at reducing the negative effects of health behaviors completely and permanently

any positive change as a person defines it for him or herself

Question 2

Why is harm reduction important

Answer 2

society
community
individual

Question 3

First principles of harm reduction

Answer 3

Accepts, for better or worse, that licit and illicit drug use is part of our world and chooses to work to minimize its harmful effects rather than simply ignore or condemn them

Question 4

Second principles of harm reduction

Answer 4

understands drug use as a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon that encompasses a continuum of behaviors from severe use to total abstinence and acknowledge that some ways of using drugs are safer than others

Question 5

Third principles of harm reduction

Answer 5

establishes quality of individual and community life and well being not necessarily cessation of all drug use as the criteria for successful interventions and policies

Question 6

Fourth principles of harm reduction

Answer 6

calls for non-judgemental , non-coercive provision of services and resources to people who use drugs and the communities in which they live in order to assist them in reducing attendant harm

Question 7

Fifth principles of harm reduction

Answer 7

ensures that people who use drugs and those with a history of drug use routinely have a real voice in the creation of programs and policies designed to serve them

Question 8

Sixth principles of harm reduction

Answer 8

affirms people who use drugs themselves as the primary agents of reducing harms of their drug use and seeks to empower PWUD to share information and support each other in strategies which meet their actual conditions of use

Question 9

Seventh principles of harm reduction

Answer 9

recognizes that the realities of poverty, class, racism, social isolation, trauma, sex based discrimination and other social inequalities affect both people’s vulnerability to and capacity for effectively dealing with drug-related harm

Question 10

Eighth principles of harm reduction

Answer 10

does not attempt to minimize or ignore the real and tragic harm and danger that can be associated with drug use

Question 11

Meds for opioid use disorder (OUD)

Answer 11

methadone
buprenorphine
naltrexone

Question 12

Naloxone

Answer 12

antagonist that binds to receptors and kicks off other opioids

reverses life-threatening respiratory depression from opioids

helps with withdrawal

not cause harm to anyone that is not overdosing

Question 13

How pharmacist contribute to harm reduction

Answer 13

reducing stigmatizing language

screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment

Question 14

What is SBIRT?

Answer 14

Screening identifies unhealthy substance use

Brief intervention provides feedback about substance use

Referral to treatment facilitates access to SUD resources