Addiction Medicine Consult Service
Purpose: The Addiction Medicine Consult Service (AMCS) supports physicians and care teams to strengthen a patient’s assessment, treatment and discharge plan when substance use may be interfering with patient care.
Patients served: AMCS provides consultation for any patient on an inpatient unit with known or suspected substance use disorder and/or who are experiencing harms due to their substance use.
Services provided: AMCS supports substance use treatment through assessment and diagnosis, symptom management (particularly for difficult withdrawal symptoms), treatment initiation during hospitalization, and linking and liaising with community-based treatment resources for discharge.
Philosophy of care: Substance use can impact each and every one of us. AMCS strives to improve health outcomes for patients who use substances by providing information, education and access to research-based treatment for substance use disorders. AMCS provides emotional support and advocacy for the patient to remain in acute care for the duration of treatment, as well as referrals to treatment, case management, community programs and opioid agonist therapy.
AMCS Locations:
South Island
- Royal Jubilee Hospital
- Victoria General Hospital
- Victoria General Hospital Perinatal Addiction Services
- Saanich Peninsula (by phone at Victoria General Hospital site)
Centre Island
- Nanaimo General Hospital
- West Coast General Hospital
North Island
- Comox General Hospital
- Campbell River Hospital