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.
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