A qualitative study of BC paramedics' responses to opioid overdose calls during the COVID-19 pandemic

Deaths attributed to illicit substance use increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the rise in opioid overdoses, the delivery of overdose care has become a significant service for BC paramedics. The present research examined paramedics' interactions with, and attitudes towards, overdose patients during the pandemic. Five BC Paramedics were interviewed about their experiences. A reflexive thematic analysis was used to explore patterns across participant narratives. Responses were categorized into the following themes: 1) simultaneously experiencing both sympathy and decreased tolerance for overdose patients; 2) considerations of whether patients who use drugs deserve medical priority compared to patients who do not use drugs; 3) increased difficulty building patient rapport on overdose calls; and 4) navigating pandemic-specific barriers which caused delays to call response times. It was found that the intersection of COVID-19 and the opioid epidemic created unique challenges for paramedics in their abilities to serve patients on overdose calls.