This toolkit offers guidance for hospitals to enhance their ability to deliver care to people who use drugs through harm reduction strategies, tools, and interventions.

Background

Hospitals and health systems are on the front lines of the substance use epidemic, encountering an unprecedented number of people who use drugs and high rates of substance-related morbidity and mortality. Integrating harm reduction approaches into hospital settings can help meet patients where they are to mitigate the negative consequences of substance use and improve health outcomes.

About this Tool

This toolkit outlines guidance for hospitals interested in adopting harm reduction practices. The toolkit:

• Defines the principles of harm reduction and the role health systems and hospitals play in mitigating and preventing harm;
• Outlines the impact of harm reduction for improving patient health and decreasing health care costs; and
• Offers strategies for hospitals to implement evidence-based harm reduction interventions, structured around three fundamental pillars, or the ‘ABCs’ of harm reduction: acceptance, best practices, and collaboration.

Program/Policy Takeaways

This toolkit offers guidance for health systems stakeholders to integrate harm reduction into policies, workflows, and care practices. Through fostering acceptance, implementing best practices, and embracing collaboration, hospitals can build an environment that provides holistic, non-judgmental, and high-quality care for people who use drugs.