Alberta to be 1st province to regulate psychedelics for therapy, government says
CBC
Alberta will become the first Canadian jurisdiction to regulate the use of psychedelic drugs for people in therapy, the province announced Wednesday.
Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Mike Ellis also introduced new rules to limit who can prescribe high-potency drugs to people with difficult-to-treat opioid addictions.
The changes are aimed at protecting the public, ensuring that patients receive high standards of care and preventing risky drugs from inadvertently ending up on the streets.
Dr. Rob Tanguay, a psychiatrist who specializes in addiction medicine and pain medicine, said patients are vulnerable while taking psychedelics and need protection.
"The risk is much lower with a regulated psychologist who is registered with their college than someone who printed [a certificate] off the Internet, and then went on to the Internet to advertise, 'I'm a psychedelic therapist, come see me,' " Tanguay said at a news conference in Edmonton Thursday.
Researchers are increasingly studying the use of psychedelic drugs like psilocybin (magic mushrooms), LSD and ketamine to help people with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or depression resistant to conventional treatments.
Although these drugs are illegal in Canada, doctors and researchers can apply to Health Canada to use them in clinical trials, get special access for therapy, or seek an exemption that's in the public interest.
Health Canada was unable to provide information on Wednesday about how many people are authorized to prescribe the drugs. Advocates for their use have previously said gaining permission is rare.
In a technical briefing Wednesday, Alberta health officials said they are laying out a regulatory groundwork in the province as it is anticipated the field will grow.
Alberta's new regulations would require medical directors to apply for a license before treating patients with psychedelics for mental health disorders. A psychiatrist would have to oversee any treatment, according to the regulations taking effect in January 2023. Health professionals could not charge money for the drugs, and a qualified professional must only give patients the drug at a medical facility – unless the person is in palliative care.
Staff must supervise the patients while they are in an altered mental state, and must report any serious injuries or deaths immediately to the government.
The rules are looser for doctors prescribing ketamine or drugs at doses too low to cause psychedelic effects.
Dr. Peter Silverstone, an Edmonton psychiatrist who was not involved in Thursday's announcement, said Alberta's new standards are good news for patients.
Silverstone, who authored a book called The Promise of Psychedelics, says there is evidence that taking the drugs can leave patients' brains more malleable and receptive to psychotherapy. The regulations are a pragmatic way to prevent harm while the field evolves, he said.
London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is getting rid of unlimited mental health benefits for staff, blaming ballooning costs and former administrators for implementing it without proper due diligence or oversight.
Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros. Discovery's TV and film studios and streaming division for $72 billion US, a deal that would hand control of one of Hollywood's most prized and oldest assets to the streaming pioneer that has upended the media industry.
CBC Calgary kicks off its annual Make the Season Kind campaign this morning at Fratello Coffee Roasters.
CBC Newfoundland and Labrador is kicking off its annual holiday campaign, helping to raise money to support local food banks.
If all goes according to plan, at 6 a.m. AT on Saturday people working at the IWK Health Centre will become the test case for a generational change to Nova Scotia’s health-care system.
One month after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced what he called "generational" military spending, New Brunswick’s defence ecosystem is on high alert.
Miranda Mirlycourtois, 34, looks directly at the camera and makes a confession.
Saskatoon city hall says police spending is projected to be $2.6 million over budget this year. That pushes the city into a $1.2-million deficit position, according to a report that will be considered by city council next week.
Students at the University of Regina are days away from deciding whether a newly formed student association should become their official representative body.
All public schools on P.E.I. are closed Friday and thousands of Maritime Electric customers are without power as strong winds create hazardous travel conditions across the province.
Prince Rupert, B.C., residents are celebrating the holidays this year with coastal flair.
In the four years Chelsey Simmonds has worked at the Eva Rothwell Centre, she has seen the need increase every year at the centre’s community food pantry.
CBC is once again looking to make the holiday season kind in Windsor-Essex.