Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinics

Programs that provide access to fast, professional treatment for people with opioid and alcohol use disorders. RAAM clinics are low-barrier, walk-in facilities that patients can visit to get help for a substance use disorder, in most cases without an appointment or formal referral. Their operating hours range from daily to once a week. In addition to addiction physicians, the clinics provide access to nurses and counsellors, who are able to provide medication-assisted treatment and short-term therapy until the patient is stable and ready to be transferred back to their primary care physicians, who are provided with materials to be prepared to take over the patient's treatment plan. Medications used by the clinics in treatment include buprenorphine or methadone for opioid use disorders, and naltrexone or acamprosate for alcohol use disorders.