The Saskatchewan government is expanding its Virtual Access to Addiction Medicine (VAAM) program to several rural and remote communities, aiming to bridge the gap for residents struggling with substance use disorders.
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The program, which connects patients with specialized physicians, nurses, and counsellors via videoconferencing or telephone, will now include:
- Arborfield and Carrot River
- Hudson Bay and Porcupine Plain
- Tisdale and Yorkton
- La Ronge and Pinehouse
- Kahkewistahaw First Nation
The initiative is designed for individuals 18 and older who do not have a local prescriber and are seeking help for opioid, alcohol, stimulant, or benzodiazepine use.
“This program reduces transportation barriers and improves access to life-saving addiction medicine,” Mental Health and Addictions Minister Lori Carr said in a statement Wednesday.
The provincial government has allocated $3.6 million toward increasing access to addiction medicine. This funding supports both the VAAM program and additional Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) supports.
Treatment is delivered in collaboration with local services, such as pharmacies for medication dispensing and laboratories for drug screening. According to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the “patients-first approach” allows residents to receive compassionate care without leaving their home communities.
The VAAM program originally launched in January in Lloydminster, Nipawin, and Cumberland House.
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