IDU perspectives on the design and operation of North America's first medically supervised injection facility

While the public health benefits of supervised injection facilities (SIFs) have been well documented, there is a lack of research examining the views of injection drug users (IDU) regarding the operation of these facilities. This study used 50 semistructured qualitative interviews to explore IDU perspectives on the design and operation of an SIF in Vancouver, Canada. Although the environment and operation of the SIF are well accepted, long wait times and limited operating hours, as well as regulations that prohibit sharing drugs and assisted injections, pose barriers to using the SIF. Modifying operating procedures and expanding the capacity of the current facility could address these barriers.