Tips for Working with People Who Use Drugs—in the Pandemic Era and Beyond

COVID-19 has undoubtedly brought about great loss and tremendous societal change— and with it, perhaps, some opportunity. As healthcare systems have been pushed to the brink and supply chains upended, people found themselves unable to access essential services for prolonged periods of time. People who use drugs (PWUD) have been particularly vulnerable to these disruptions, as traditional syringe services and harm reduction programs quickly pivoted to minimize person-to-person interaction while still working to provide life-saving services. Now is the time to leverage all that we have learned during COVID-19 to effectively plan and prepare for future public health crises and continue to advocate for much needed flexibility in service delivery for PWUD.

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