For people living with serious and persistent mental health challenges who have exhausted conventional options, Health Canada’s Special Access Program (SAP) is one pathway through which a healthcare practitioner can request access to medicines that are not otherwise available for sale in Canada.
SAP is not broad access to psychedelic therapy. It is intended for exceptional medical circumstances. The requirements are extremely stringent, approval is rare, and navigating the pathway can be a lengthy and challenging process.
Who May Be Considered for SAP?
Based on Health Canada guidelines, individuals looking to apply for psychedelic assisted psychotherapy (PAP) through SAP need to meet all criteria listed below at the very minimum:
A diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), or end-of-life distress associated with a life-threatening illness may be considered for Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy.
Individuals must show evidence of having extensively explored conventional options, including various medications, different forms of psychotherapy, and alterative approaches such as neurofeedback, and other appropriate interventions.
Individuals are to be thoroughly assessed by medical and mental health professionals to identify potential contraindications and determine whether they are medically and psychologically suitable for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
Several other individual and clinical factors are considered as part of the assessment and application process by the prescribing practitioner, mental health professionals, and Health Canada.
Unfortunately, even when someone appears to meet all the appropriate criteria, submission of an SAP application does not guarantee approval by Health Canada. Applications are reviewed independently, and authorization decisions are made at Health Canada’s discretion based on the information provided and applicable regulatory requirements.
Access through SAP remains highly restricted at this time. Organizations such as TheraPsil, alongside mental health advocates and MP Corey Tochor, are working toward improving access to psychedelic-assisted care in Canada and supporting patients and practitioners navigating the current system. For more information, follow the Thomas Bill.
How Does SAP Work?
Patients cannot apply directly to Health Canada.
A prescribing practitioner first completes a comprehensive assessment and determines whether an SAP application is clinically appropriate.
If they decide to proceed with a SAP application, consider connecting with organizations such as Therapsil as your first stop to see if you meet basic criteria. TheraPsil helps patients better understand and navigate this process. Following that, we can connect you with a medical practitioner who can help submit an application to Health Canada on your behalf. Health Canada independently reviews each application, and approval is both very rare and unpredictable. An application may be approved, denied, or require additional information. For more information, explore TheraPsil’s guide to the Special Access Program.
If your SAP application is approved, Sara Saniee, a trauma therapist fully trained by Therapsil, can guide you through the preparation, dosing and integration process.
Important: What We Don’t Do!
At our clinic, we embody an evidence-informed, medically-responsible and safety-first stance towards psychedelics. We are not gate keepers, nor underground psychedelic trip sitters. We do not provide or administer illegal psychedelic substances in therapy, and we do not offer information on where to access or buy controlled substances. We cannot recommend, promote or advise regarding non-prescribed and non-legal psychedelic use.
The research indicates that when used safely, with adequate preparation and for certain mental health challenges, psychedelics can be transformative. However, we are in an era, when TV shows, social media and news articles are characterizing mind altering substances as quick fixes for anxiety, depression and trauma. This depiction is both unrealistic and irresponsible. Best-practice research indicates that the most helpful outcomes of psychedelics come from using them with guidance of informed therapists as well as safe and intentionally cured settings.
Explore Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy (PSIP), a bottom-up, experiential approach that works with the body, nervous system and therapeutic relationship to address trauma and attachment patterns that insight alone may not fully shift. Learn how PSIP works, who it may help, and what to expect in PSIP sessions.
