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Current literature lacks clear examples of how to engage with communities in the development of opioid misuse interventions for diverse populations and across various settings. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative (HEAL) Prevention Cooperative (HPC) research projects work collaboratively with communities to develop and adapt their opioid misuse interventions to increase both feasibility and sustainability. Ten HPC projects were selected to receive NIH funding and are required to have partnerships with communities where their intervention is being conducted. This paper applies the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-adapted Public Participation Framework to examine the levels of community engagement used by each of these 10 HPC projects (Clinical and Translational Science Awards Consortium Community Engagement Key Function Committee Task Force on the Principles of Community Engagement, 2015). Using this framework, this paper illustrates the range of community engagement approaches and levels that the HPC projects rely on to develop, adapt, and adopt opioid prevention interventions across diverse populations and settings. This paper also lays a foundation for future examinations of the role of community engagement in intervention implementation and effectiveness and the level of community engagement that is necessary to improve intervention effectiveness.

Background: The prevalence of deaths involving synthetic opioids has historically been lower in Texas than most U.S. states but more than quadrupled from January 2020 to January 2022. This paper explores the emergence of fentanyl in a drug supply where black tar heroin predominates, a factor considered protective against fentanyl adulteration, through the perspectives of people who use drugs (PWUD). Objectives: We describe experiences of unintentional exposure to fentanyl, illustrate how some people identify fentanyl in their supply, and present harm reduction strategies that PWUD use to avoid overdose. Methods: Thirty rapid assessment interviews were conducted in July 2021 at 2 mobile outreach sites of a harm reduction organization in Austin, Texas. The brief semistructured interviews were designed to assess participant fentanyl exposure experiences. Results: Participants were clients who reported using heroin or fentanyl in the past week and had lived in Texas for at least 6 months. Seventeen participants identified as male, 10 as female, and 3 as nonbinary. Half identified as white; other participants were Latinx (6), black (2), American Indian (1), and mixed race (6). Two-thirds were unhoused or in transitional housing. The drug supply in Texas has evolved; most participants reported that the heroin and other drugs they obtained contain fentanyl. Participants detected differences by observing changes in the physical characteristics of the drug, experiencing unexpected effects, and using fentanyl test strips. Many had been unintentionally exposed to fentanyl and expressed concerns about fentanyl’s presence. The presence of fentanyl had negative unintended consequences for participants, including adverse effects and developing a dependence on opioids. Conclusion: PWUD in Austin, Texas, report increasing prevalence of unintentional fentanyl exposure, despite the predominance of black tar heroin. Pharmacists can provide crucial supplies and education to safeguard the health of this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]