“With this you’re not chained down to something”: contrasting experiences of opioid agonist treatment and safer supply program participation among people receiving prescribed safer supply

Key Points

• The research aims to explore participants' experiences with opioid agonist treatment and safer supply programs to identify improvements in care models.
• Conducted qualitative interviews with individuals in opioid agonist treatment and safer supply programs.
• Analyzed experiences regarding decision-making, dosing, and care models.
• Explored themes related to retention and therapeutic benefits in treatment.
• Participants reported greater therapeutic benefits from personalized care models.
• Collaborative decision-making was linked to improved engagement and retention in treatment.
• Challenges within traditional opioid agonist treatment models were identified, suggesting the need for reform.