Group Appointments

River Stone uses a drop-in group appointment model instead of having individual medical appointments between patients and prescriber.

This innovative strategy is one of the reasons we are able to serve so many patients without wait lists. Groups are a time- and cost-effective way for our prescribers to meet with patients to discuss their treatment.

Patients on oral therapies and Sublocade injections are required to attend a group at least once every six weeks. Patients in our iOAT program have separate groups.

Regularly scheduled in-person and virtual groups are available each week and patients don't need appointments. They can drop in during whichever group time works for them. Some patients come more frequently because they like the extra support they receive from other patients with similar experiences. A strong community has developed within our patient population through these groups, which date back to 2017, when Dr. Davidson began providing addiction medicine at the Fredericton Downtown Community Health Centre.

We understand that not everyone is comfortable discussing their concerns alongside other patients, and some would prefer to meet with their prescriber one-on-one. River Stone simply doesn't have the funding to provide that kind of service. We encourage hesitant patients to give the groups a try. Many of our patients find the groups one of the most helpful aspects of treatment at River Stone! But if they're really not for you, we can refer you to a more traditional addiction medicine provider. (Note: River Stone is the only provider of iOAT in the province.)