Accessing MAID in Saskatchewan

To access the provincial Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) Program

1. Connect with the MAID team 

• Anyone can refer to the Program including patients, families or health-care providers from any discipline. There is no special form that needs to be completed to initiate contact with the Program.
• The program can be contacted toll free by dialing 1-833-473-6243 (MAID) or 306-766-4399. 
• A MAID team member will complete an intake which includes a review of the patient's past and current medical circumstances which has led to their request for medical assistance in dying.
• The MAID team needs to speak with the patient directly to confirm their interest in medical assistance in dying in order to proceed and will provide a required information session to the patient.

2. Review of medical history  

• The MAID team will request permission to access and review medical records from the patient's health-care team as well as relevant specialists, diagnostic imaging and lab results for assessment purposes.

3. Independent assessments    

• Federal legislation requires assessment by two separate assessors to determine eligibility.
• Assessments are completed by physicians and/or nurse practitioners connected with the MAID Program.  
• The Program will arrange for the assessors.  Assessments will occur in person or virtually, in someone’s home or in a facility. 
• It can take days, weeks or months to organize assessments and determine eligibility dependent on patient-specific circumstances. 
• It may be necessary as part of the assessment for the patient to be reviewed by other health care professionals.  
• Eligibility for MAID will be determined by the assessments. Further information regarding eligibility can be found here (add link).
• Once a patient is deemed eligible, they decide if and when they want to set a date for medical assistance in dying provision.

4. Written request

• The law requires patients to complete a written request. 
• Further instructions, as well as the Written Request form will be provided by a team member at some point after an information session.

• PLEASE NOTE: The Written Request does not need to be completed in order to have an assessment. In addition, the document is not consent for medical assistance in dying provision and does not determine your eligibility. You may withdraw your request at any time through the process.  

5. MAID provision

• If the patient is found eligible and decides to proceed with a medically assisted death, the patient should contact the MAID team to arrange a date, time and location - home or health care facility. Scheduling the provision date / time is dependent on provider availability.
  • The patient is encouraged to contact the MAID team if their health condition worsens.
  • PLEASE NOTE: Some communities have conscientiously objecting facilities* which may restrict the medical assistance in dying process, including provision.
• The patient and family need to identify a funeral home who will accept care of the patient upon their death. 
• At the time MAID is administered, the patient must have the capacity to provide consent. 
• There are specific situations where an Advanced Consent Arrangement can be offered to a patient by their assessor/provider. This is only an option for a patient whose natural death has been assessed as foreseeable.   
• A patient may withdraw their request at any time, right up to the point when medications are given.
• A care provider will start an intravenous (IV) to administer the medication.
• After death has occurred the Medical Certificate of Death will be completed and provided to the accepting funeral home.
• Currently in Saskatchewan, there is no oral consumption option for medical assistance in dying.

*A conscientiously objecting facility is a religious-based facility which does not support or allow some or all aspects of medical assistance in dying to occur in the facility.