Ketamine-Assisted Therapy: Foundations, Mechanisms, and Clinical Applications N550

Course Summary

Ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) is an emerging treatment modality in psychiatric and pain management settings, demonstrating efficacy in treatment-resistant depression (TRD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health conditions. Originally developed as an anesthetic, ketamine has gained attention for its rapid-acting antidepressant and dissociative properties. This educational course provides an overview of ketamine’s pharmacology, mechanisms of action, clinical applications, safety considerations, and the biopsychosocial impact on patients undergoing psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

• Introduction
  • The Need for Rapid-Acting Therapies
  • Psychedelic Context and Therapeutic Use
  • Indications and Expanding Use
  • Clinical Considerations
• Pharmacological Overview
  • Mechanism of Action
  • Formulations and Enantiomers
• Therapeutic Applications in Psychiatry
• Dosing, Safety, and Use in Special Populations
  • Toxicity and Monitoring
  • Special Population Considerations
  • Toxicity and Monitoring
• Psychotherapy in Ketamine-Assisted Therapy: Facilitating Transformation Through Structured Integration
  • General Cadence of Therapy
  • Strategies and Techniques
  • Expected Outcomes
• Interprofessional Healthcare Team
• Clinical Pearls
• RX Journal Club: Esketamine, Depression, and Body Weight
  • Introduction
  • Study Objective and Methods
  • Key Findings
  • Clinical Implications and Interpretation
  • Journal Club Conclusion
• RX Journal Club: Comparative Effectiveness of IV Ketamine and IN Esketamine in TRD
  • Introduction
  • Study Objective and Methods
  • Results and Clinical Implications
  • Conclusion
• Case Presentation: Functional Neurological Disorder and Major Depression Remission Following KAT
  • Case Presentation
  • Case Discussion
• Summary

Authors

Richard Daniels, PharmD, BCPS

Richard “Cole” Daniels earned his Doctor of Pharmacy(PharmD) from the Skaggs School of Pharmacy at the University of Montana in 2018. Throughout pharmacy school he completed a 3-year internship at Community Medical Center in Missoula, Montana in which he gained valuable experience in an acute care setting. Cole currently serves as a psychiatric clinical staff pharmacist at the Montana State Hospital. He has over 11 years of pharmacy experience having worked in several settings including retail, acute care, and inpatient psychiatric care. Cole has a diverse set of interests. However, acute care medicine, infectious disease, pain management, and asthma/COPD are a primary focus of his at the Montana State Hospital. He obtained board certification as a certified pharmacotherapy specialist in the Spring of 2022.

Elisabeth Gordon, BScPharm, RPh

Elisabeth Gordon earned her BSc(Pharm) from the University of British Columbia in 2004. After graduation, she worked in community retail pharmacies on Vancouver Island, before returning to her rural hometown of Salmon Arm. In 2016 and 2017, Elisabeth trained with Pallium Canada and Victoria Hospice to enhance her knowledge of end-of-life-care and palliative services. She is a volunteer medical supervisor for T1DOutreach, a peer support platform for adults living with type 1 diabetes, and a member of a Canadian peer support group for adults living with Birdshot Uveitis. Elisabeth enjoys working in a small, fast-paced rural pharmacy where she brings compassion and empathy to her everyday practice.