Strengthening Safety Standards to Ensure Success
As Oregon prepares to launch the nation’s first licensed and regulated psilocybin therapy program, safety standards are critical. That’s why we’re advocating for changes to the Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) draft rules that strengthen safety for clients, facilitators and service centers. Putting comprehensive safety standards in place at the start of Oregon’s program will support the success of this program and, in the long run, enable more people to access this promising therapy.
Our open letter to the OHA identifies several opportunities to strengthen safety standards while ensuring psilocybin therapy remains accessible. Our recommendations include:
Requiring discussion of key safety considerations in group preparation sessions
Updating the informed consent language to include information about known risks of psilocybin, including to people with a history of hospitalizations for risk of harm to self or others and with serious or persistent mental illness
Updating the client information form to gather the information needed to assess risk, and updating the intake process to require additional screening when key risks are identified
Requiring that all clients have a safety plan, not just those with identified risk factors
We thank those who signed onto our letter and look forward to OHA’s updated rules, expected later this week. As the program opens next month and licenses for production facilities, service centers and facilitators become available, we will continue to advocate for a safe, equitable and accessible psilocybin therapy program.
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