City gets fast opioid treatment

A clinic providing fast access to opioid addiction treatment and the ability to self-refer is now available in Hamilton.

The Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) Clinic opened June 11 at the corner of Charlton Avenue East and James Street South, funded by the Local Health Integration Network.

The one-year pilot project run by St. Joseph’s Healthcare is for all substance abuse issues with a focus on alcohol

But its main aim is to address Hamilton’s opioid crisis after an overdose death rate 72 per cent above the provincial average in 2017.

“When someone is ready to stop using illicit opioids they can’t wait weeks,” Dr. Jennifer Brasch, St. Joseph’s addictions psychiatrist and a physician at the new clinic, said in a statement.

“They need to be able to access medications for recovery as easily as they can get illegal drugs.”

The RAAM clinic is a key component of a strategy developed by the City of Hamilton and community organizations to combat the opioid epidemic.

Similar clinics already running in other Ontario cities have decreased repeat visits to emergency departments.

“Patients tell me that opioid withdrawal is the worst feeling in the world,” said Brasch. “They’d rather keep using than suffer. So when they’re ready to make a change, they need medications to stop the withdrawal symptoms quickly.”

The RAAM clinic is separate from the temporary prevention site where drug users can inject, snort or orally ingest drugs they've brought that opened June 5 inside the Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre at 71 Rebecca St.