Kata's Practice Standards
KATA’s Practice Standards Recommendations for the Outpatient Use of Ketamine for Mental Health Conditions
KATA’s Outpatient Use of Ketamine for Mental Health Conditions Practice Standards Recommendations were developed as a guide to regulators as well as to professionals prescribing and delivering non-intravenous routes of ketamine in community settings.
Originally drafted in 2021 and submitted to the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons in support of their published Interim Guidance. The latest version updated in December, 2023 represents a collaboration with the Ontario Medical Association – Psychedelic Medical Interest Group, contains refreshed, specific and practical evidence-based recommendations to support health care practitioners to provide a standard of safe care and support regulators to create appropriate policies that don’t impede access to this vital treatment.
These recommendations were written collaboratively by an interdisciplinary team after a literature review of 53 key articles, hospital protocols, existing practice guidelines and additional data from outpatient practices and was reviewed by a panel of peers. The practice recommendations will continue to evolve as new research and clinical data emerges and as feedback is received from the ketamine practice community.
Policy needs to be transparent and include consultation of relevant stakeholders.
Without appropriate process and transparency public and professional confidence and trust is lost. We see the impacts that conflict of interest has had on regulations.
Disclosure Statements of the Authors
Dr. Neil Hanon - Director
Is a Psychiatrist in Kelowna, British Columbia and is Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He is the Year 3 Director (the clinical year) of the Southern Medical Program of UBC in Kelowna. He is a teacher for Grof Legacy Training.
Dr. Ian Mitchell - Director
Is an Emergency Medicine Physician practising at the Royal Inland Hospital in British Columbia. He is a Clinical Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of British Columbia. He teaches on a semi-regular basis for the ATMA training institute.
Dr. Sukh Dhiman - Director
Is an Emergency Medicine Physician practising at the Surrey Memorial Hospital in British Columbia. He is co-founder and chief medical officer for PureLife Cannabis Corporation based in Alberta and is Co-Founder and Co-Director of Medical Services for PsyIntegrated Health based in Vancouver BC.
Dr. Joel Kailia - Research Committee
Is a Family Medicine Physician practising at Together We Can Addiction Recovery and Education Society, is a prescriber for MySafe Society, and is Co-Director of Medical Services and Physician Lead for Ketamine Assisted Therapy Program at Psy Integrated in Vancouver BC.
Madison Nobbs RN - Exectuive Director
Is a Registered Nurse practising at Empower Health Wellness Centre in Vancouver, is Manager of Programming at Psy Integrated Health, and is practising at ChangePain Clinic in Vancouver BC.
Dr. Anthony Barale - Director
Is a Psychiatrist for Vancouver Coastal Health practising at Sechelt Hospital and has no relevant disclosures.
MIG Authors Disclosures
Dr. Adam Blackman is a community based psychiatrist. He is an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto. He is the chair of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) Psychedelic Medicine Medical Interest Group (MIG).
Dr. Jinous Hamidi is a community psychiatrist with a well established Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy practice in midtown Toronto. She was previously the head of the Day Treatment Program at CAMH.
Dr. Mark Cornfield practised family medicine for 12 years, then completed a psychiatry residency and practised community psychiatry for almost 30 years. Mark is now largely retired but continues to lead ketamine workshops for therapists and physicians.
Dr. Ryan Patchett-Marble is a rural generalist physician practising in Marathon, ON. He is an assistant professor at NOSM university and has been Principal Investigator for several studies looking at ketamine. He is an executive member of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) Psychedelic Medicine Medical Interest Group (MIG).
Dr. Sean O’Sullivan is a family doctor practising emergency medicine and psychotherapy. He served as medical director to Therapsil in the past.
Dr. Emma Hapke is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist and researcher at the University Health Network in Toronto. She is co-founder and associate director of the Nikean Psychedelic Psychotherapy Research Centre at UHN and also a lecturer at the University of Toronto.
Have any questions or feedback? Please reach out to us at hello@katacanada.org