North East LHIN increases opioid strategy

The North East Local Health Integration Network says it's investing $1.65 million to increase access to treatment for opioid addictions.

The LHIN says the money will expand and create Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinics.

The first clinic, a pilot project at Health Sciences North in Sudbury, will be expanded.

Three additional clinics will be set up in Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay and Timmins. The clinics are designed to prevent people with addictions from having to go to the emergency room.

"[In] most of our subregions, people that are battling opioid addiction present to ER and oftentimes there's a long wait for them to be seen by a doctor, and at some points it may be too much of a long wait without any of their medication and they leave or their withdrawal is very difficult for them," Carol Philbin Jolette with the LHIN said.

"With having these quick access clinics, the idea is these people will be seen right away and treated right away."

Community outreach

Philbin Jolette says the pilot project in Sudbury has been successful and will make it easier to expand the program across the region.

"As a result, we've been able to bank and capitalize on the work they were doing," she said.

She says the additional funding will allow the clinic in Sudbury to operate five days a week instead of three and a half.

Philbin Jolette says having established clinics in more areas will better serve the region.

"The idea is they are going to be doing outreach to the smaller communities within their subregion and reaching out to the smaller hospitals," she said.

"More people can be helped."