Study Co-Authored by Dr. Abigale Sprakes Named One of 2026’s Top 10 Articles by CIHR-IHSPR and CAHSPR

“I won’t make it without this program.”

Canada is in the midst of a worsening overdose crisis, driven largely by the unregulated drug supply. In response, safer opioid supply (SOS) programs were implemented to provide pharmaceutical-grade opioids alongside critical services. 

In 2024, Ontario’s provincial government introduced restrictions on harm reduction initiatives, coinciding with the expiration of federal funding, forcing many programs to close.

Dr. Abigale Sprakes, Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work, is part of a research team investigating the impact of safer opioid supply program closures in Ontario.

Their published study was named one of the Top 10 articles in 2026 by the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR) and Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR). 

The research team interviewed people who use drugs and were enrolled in SOS programs across Ontario. The study highlights participants’ concerns that SOS program closures may force them back into an increasingly toxic unregulated market, ultimately putting their lives at risk, along with reversing the many benefits SOS programs provided, such as connections to essential health and social services.

This study was funded by the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Matters (CRISM). 

Click the link to read the full article.