Table 6.
Valuing outcomes experienced by government systems and services.
| Outcome | Financial valuation or proxy | Value (CAD) | Source | Notes on value included and sensitivity test conducted (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of service users with decreased need for hospital/medical response to overdoses | Average cost of services provided to the typical inpatient adult (aged 18–59 years) experiencing a drug overdose in an acute care facility in Saskatchewan | $5,668 | Estimated average cost of services provided to the average typical inpatient adult (aged 18–59 years) experiencing a drug overdose in an acute care facility in Saskatchewan in 2021–2022 | Adjusted for inflation from $5,105 CAD per visit in 2021–2022, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information’s Patient Cost Estimator (66) |
| # of service users with overdose addressed at SCS resulting in decreased emergency medical response to overdose. | Minimum cost of road ambulance in Saskatchewan | $360 | Government of Saskatchewan (67) | As of 2025, the cost of basic call pick up rate ranges from $245 to $325 CAD for residents of Saskatchewan with a valid health card and $360 for non-residents of Saskatchewan |
| # of increased emergency medical response to overdose (e.g., people using in local area outside the SCS operating hours) | Minimum cost of road ambulance in Saskatchewan | −$360 | Government of Saskatchewan (67) | As above |
| Decreased hospital visits due to weather-related issues (e.g., frostbite, heat stroke, etc.) | Average cost of services provided to the typical inpatient adult (aged 18–59 years) experiencing significant injury/exposure to elements in an acute care facility in Saskatchewan | $10,354 | Estimated average cost of services provided to the average typical inpatient adult (aged 18–59 years) experiencing significant injury/exposure to elements in an acute care facility in Saskatchewan | Adjusted for inflation from $9,325 CAD per visit in 2021–2022, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information’s Patient Cost Estimator (66) |
| # of service users with decreased hospital cost related to HIV infections in people who use drugs (minimum estimate of 1) | Hospital visit cost for person who uses injection drugs and has HIV in British Columbia | $5,985 | Subedi et al. (68) | Adjusted for inflation and for Canadian applicability, recentness of publication, and alignment with outcome |
| Decreased police call-outs related to public substance use, social disorder, violence, etc. | Cost of police call for service (Canadian average) | $1,141 | Public Safety Canada Community Safety and Countering Crime Branch, Research Division (69) | Adjusted for inflation and for Canadian applicability. While this is an older source, no more recent estimations of the comprehensive costs associated with a police call out were found |
| Increased police call-outs related to public substance use, social disorder, violence, etc. | Cost of police call for service (Canadian average) | −$1,141 | Public Safety Canada Community Safety and Countering Crime Branch, Research Division (69) | As above |
Reported values were adjusted for inflation.