Prescriber Training

Our prescriber training launched its first cohort on February 24th, 2023. We are currently accepting applications for future cohorts:

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Introduction

TheraPsil’s fundamental mission is to provide access to psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for Canadians in medical need. Our primary functions involve patient-rights advocacy, clinical assessment, training, and connecting patients with suitable therapists for treatment.

We recognize the importance of developing a strong foundation of suitably trained and trusted physicians who can support patients seeking psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment. To this end, TheraPsil has developed a psilocybin prescriber-specific education program, and we contract with individuals and organizations to deliver it.

We are dedicated to clinical, academic and ethical excellence in psychedelic treatment. We understand that this requires equitable access for all clinicians to our training program so that our patients have access to a diverse range of therapists. We respect and welcome diversity, and warmly encourage members of ethnic, BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, gender, religious and other underserved or marginalized communities to apply.

Our training goal is to fully prepare our graduates to safely and effectively prescribe psilocybin to clients under Canada’s Special Access Program (SAP). TheraPsil will then connect our trained prescribers with treatment teams of therapists who have completed TheraPsil’s Intensive Training Program so they can work together to best support patients through all aspects of psilocybin treatment.

Our Prescriber Training Program

Our psilocybin prescriber training program consists of 6 curriculum units listed and described below;
Trainees will begin with a set of pre-readings and videos. They then attend a seminar involving online instruction covering units 1-6;
Seminars involve knowledge and skill acquisition, self-reflection and community building. They involve a flexible mixture of lecture, large and small group discussions, case studies, and skill-practice sessions;
Seminars may involve use of “guest” expert presenters for certain topics;
Online seminar delivery may be scheduled flexibly according to needs of cohort members (e.g. ½ day intensives, weekly or bi-weekly sessions stretching over a month);
Maximum cohort size: 30 members;
Delivery method: Zoom;
Community platform and training portal: Mighty Networks;
We expect that our curriculum, with its current scope on prescribers in relation to the Special Access Program (SAP) for patient treatment for end of life distress, major depressive disorder, and treatment resistant depression, will broaden in focus as our patient inclusion criteria broaden to include compassionate treatment of anxiety, addictions, PTSD, pain management and spiritual emergency;
Trainees will have the opportunity to deliver feedback to the trainers throughout, and proceeding the program concerning program content and delivery;
Total Program Hours:
- - Online Seminar 4
  - Pre-readings/videos 2
  - 6 hours

Entrance Requirements

A medical degree (MD, NP, DO, ND);
Current good standing as a member of a professional provincial governing body such as the College of Physicians and Surgeons, BC College of Nurses and Midwives,

Preference will be given to applicants who already have personal or professional psychedelic experience;
Preference will be given to applicants with palliative care or clinical experience;
Each applicant will be admitted to the prescriber training program following a successful review of the training application form by the Director of Training and Operations to assess personal and professional suitability.

Graduation Requirements

Completion of in-person training seminar (Units 1-6). Full attendance is required;
- Certification of completion of readings and videos;
- Completion of knowledge checks and quizzes

Certificates & Professional Designations

A qualified professional accepted into our program becomes a TheraPsil Affiliate by committing to complete our psilocybin prescriber training program;
Prescriber trainees who have fully attended the 4-hour seminar, and certified that they have completed all required readings and videos may receive (upon request) a certificate of completion of 6 hours of didactic instruction in TheraPsil’s Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy Training Program.
- To certify that didactic training is complete and receive a certificate of completion, email yasmeen@therapsil.ca.
Graduate MDs and Nurse Practitioners who complete Modules 1-6 will be awarded a certificate of completion of 6 hours in prescribing for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. This certificate will identify them as a TheraPsil Prescriber, and their names will be entered into TheraPsil’s register of prescribers. This register is made available to prospective patients seeking assessment or prescribing and treatment teams seeking prescribers.

Seminar Content

1. The TheraPsil Mission: Advocacy, Assessment & Referral

TheraPsil roles involving patient-rights advocacy, patient assessment, and referral for treatment;
Current legal aspects of psychedelic medicine in Canada;
- Health Canada Approval of SAPs for legal use;
- Health Canada approval of Section 56 exemptions for legal use;
- Health Canada approval process for research/clinical study using psilocybin;
TheraPsil patient inclusion criteria;
TheraPsil intake/assessment/treatment/follow-up protocol;
TheraPsil psychometric assessment instruments;
Intake questionnaire, Fee-rate sheets & consent forms;
Professional association/college stance on psychedelic therapy;
Medical coverage in Canada;
Project Solace, the world’s largest medical psilocybin access and data project;
Process for becoming a TheraPsil Prescriber;
Differentiate between TheraPsil’s two programs: 1) Practical Considerations for Psilocybin Prescribers and 2) Fundamentals of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy

2. Neuropharmacology, Neurobiology, Dosing

3. Drug-Interactions, Contraindications, Side Effects and Adverse Events

In depth review and management of drug interactions with Psilocybin

Differentiated between efficacy concerns and safety concerns

Review the rationale for psilocybin contradictions
Common side effects and how to manage them
Common and rare adverse events and how to reduce patient risk
Patient intake including relevant labs
Role of deprescribing in patients undergoing psilocybin-assisted therapy
Harm reduction in polypharmacy and mixing psychedelic substances
Resources for the clinician in medication management for psilocybin-assisted therapy

4. Indications and Studies

5. Patient Populations and Special Medical Considerations

6. Filling out the SAP

Program Learning materials: texts, readings and videos

Learning materials (including texts, other readings, and videos) for each cohort will be determined by the instructor(s) assigned to the cohort via TheraPsil’s online training portal, Mighty Networks.