Residents across northern Saskatchewan will have greater access to addiction treatment services as the province expands its Virtual Access to Addiction Medicine (VAAM) program to additional communities.
The expansion now includes Arborfield, Carrot River, Choiceland, Esterhazy, Hudson Bay, Kahkewistahaw First Nation, La Ronge, Melville, Porcupine Plain, Tisdale and Yorkton.
The VAAM program provides virtual access to physicians, nurses and counsellors specializing in addiction medicine through videoconferencing and telephone appointments. The service is intended to improve access to care for individuals experiencing substance use disorders, particularly in communities where local addiction medicine prescribers may not be available.
“This program reduces transportation barriers and improves access to life-saving addiction medicine for individuals with substance use disorder,” said Saskatchewan Mental Health and Addictions Minister Lori Carr. “Expanding this program will help more residents across our province on their recovery journey.”
The program supports people seeking help for opioid, alcohol, stimulant or benzodiazepine use. Services include intake, assessment and treatment planning, delivered in collaboration with local supports such as pharmacies, laboratories for urine drug screening, and outpatient mental health and addictions services.
According to the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), the virtual model allows care teams to reach residents more quickly while reducing travel challenges often faced in rural and remote areas.
“Virtual Access to Addiction Medicine is continuing to bring care closer to home for people across Saskatchewan,” said SHA Executive Director of Mental Health and Addictions Services Zoe Teed McKay. “By offering timely, virtual access to physicians, nurses and counsellors, we are reducing barriers and meeting people where they are.”
The Government of Saskatchewan has committed $3.6 million to improve access to addiction medicine services, including support for the VAAM program and existing Opioid Agonist Therapy programs.
The VAAM initiative was first launched in January in Lloydminster, Nipawin and Cumberland House Cree Nation and Northern Village, along with detox and treatment centres throughout the province.
To qualify for the program, individuals must:
* live in a participating community or attend a detox or recovery treatment centre in Saskatchewan,
* be 18 years of age or older,
* want help with substance use,
* be open to discussing treatment options, including medication, and
* not currently have a prescriber.
More information about the program is available through the Saskatchewan Health Authority website.
(Photo: VAAM / Screenshot from Saskatchewan Health Authority Website)