BACKGROUND: Non-medical opioid use is linked to severe consequences such as addiction, overdose, and infectious diseases, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV), particularly through injection practices. In Ethiopia, limited evidence exists on non-medical opioid use, and harm-reduction programs are absent. This study aimed to explore the experiences of non-medical opioid users seeking healthcare in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

METHODS: A phenomenological qualitative study design was employed, complemented by descriptive quantitative data. We conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with sixteen purposively selected participants and reviewed hospital data (n = 47). Thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data, while descriptive statistics summarized the quantitative findings.

RESULTS: Five themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: patterns of opioid use, reasons for use, strategies for accessing opioids, perceived consequences, and help-seeking behaviours. Quantitative data showed that 47 opioid users received healthcare services over the past three years in hospitals in Addis Ababa. Forty-three percent of these individuals were healthcare professionals. Sixty-six percent used one type of opioid, predominantly tramadol (18), while 24 of the 47 reported polysubstance use. Daily opioid use was common, reported by 76.6% of participants.

CONCLUSIONS: Non-medical opioid use poses significant life-threatening risks and multidimensional challenges, necessitating immediate intervention. Further large-scale studies on the burden of opioid use, as well as intervention research aimed at improving care and developing harm-reduction guidelines, are essential.

KEYOWRDS: Opioid Use; illicit drug use; Problematic Opioid use; non-medical opioid use; tramadol; Ethiopia