Avicenna Centre for Brain Health offers esketamine (Spravato) treatment for adults in Calgary living with treatment-resistant depression. Esketamine is a nasal-spray medication approved by Health Canada for depression that has not improved after other antidepressants, and it is delivered in our clinic under physician supervision. For many patients who have struggled to find relief, it offers a different mechanism of action and a faster response than traditional medications.
This is a specialized service that requires careful assessment, eligibility review, and monitoring. Calgary patients and referring providers are encouraged to contact our team to confirm current availability and the referral pathway for Alberta.
Esketamine, sold under the brand name Spravato, is a prescription nasal spray for adults with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder, and for depressive symptoms in adults with major depression who have suicidal thoughts. It is chemically related to ketamine and works on a different chemical system in the brain than most antidepressants. Many patients begin to notice improvement earlier in treatment than they would with traditional oral antidepressants. Spravato is taken together with at least one oral antidepressant.
You may be a candidate for esketamine if you are 18 or older and have tried at least two different antidepressant medications without adequate relief. Eligibility is confirmed through a psychiatric assessment, where a physician reviews your history, current symptoms, previous treatments, and overall health to decide whether esketamine is a safe and appropriate option for you. Esketamine is not suitable for everyone, and your physician will discuss any conditions that may make it unsuitable.
Esketamine is self-administered as a nasal spray in our clinic, never at home, and you are monitored on site for about two hours afterward by trained staff with a physician available. Because the medication can cause short-term effects such as drowsiness or a feeling of detachment, you cannot drive for the rest of the day and will need to arrange a ride home. A typical plan begins with two sessions per week for the first month, then less frequent dosing guided by your response and your provider’s recommendations.
Most antidepressants act on serotonin, norepinephrine, or dopamine. Esketamine works on the brain’s glutamate system, which is thought to support the formation of new neural connections. This different pathway is part of why it can help some people who have not responded to other treatments, and why it can act more quickly.
Most side effects occur during the monitoring window after a dose and tend to ease before you leave. They can include a temporary sense of dissociation, dizziness, nausea, raised blood pressure, sedation, or anxiety. This is exactly why treatment takes place in a supervised clinical setting. Your care team will review the full safety profile with you before you begin.
The psychiatric assessment that determines your eligibility is an insured physician service, so it is covered by the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) when you have a valid Alberta health card and a referral. The cost of the medication itself is handled separately, usually through private or extended health insurance, with support available from the manufacturer’s patient assistance program. Our team will help you understand your coverage and out-of-pocket cost before treatment begins, and assist with any forms required to request insurance coverage.
A psychiatric assessment to determine esketamine eligibility requires a referral from your family doctor or nurse practitioner. Ask your provider to refer you to Avicenna Centre for Brain Health with an esketamine enquiry, and a member of our team will follow up to guide you through the next steps. Referrals can be sent by email to info@avicennabrainhealth.com or by fax to 1-888-675-9926. For Alberta providers, referral steps may vary depending on whether your practice uses Connect Care.
Avicenna is a referral-based clinic and is not an urgent or crisis service. Esketamine is not a substitute for emergency care or hospitalization when those are needed. If you or someone you care about is in crisis, please call 911, contact Alberta Health Services Access 24/7, or call the provincial Mental Health Helpline at 1-877-303-2642.
Esketamine at Avicenna sits inside a full psychiatric clinic, not a standalone infusion centre. That means your eligibility is assessed by a psychiatrist, your treatment is supervised by physicians, and your care can be coordinated with the rest of your mental health support, from medication review to therapy, all through one team. Our coordinators handle the insurance legwork so you can focus on getting well.
Our clinic is located at Suite 210, 4525 Monterey Avenue NW, Calgary, AB T3B 0L4, in the community of Montgomery in northwest Calgary, with on-site parking and accessible, elevator access. We see patients from across Calgary and surrounding Alberta communities. Call 403 454 0902 to learn more.
They are related but not identical. Esketamine (Spravato) is a Health Canada approved nasal-spray medication for treatment-resistant depression, given in a supervised clinical setting. Ketamine used for depression is a separate, often off-label, treatment.
Yes. The psychiatric assessment that confirms esketamine eligibility requires a referral from your family doctor or nurse practitioner.
The psychiatric eligibility assessment is covered by AHCIP. The medication cost is handled through private or extended health insurance and the manufacturer’s support program. Our team will help you determine your coverage before you begin.
No. Because of the medication’s short-term effects, you cannot drive for the rest of the day and should arrange transportation home.
It varies by person, but many patients notice improvement earlier in treatment than with traditional antidepressants. Your provider will track your response and adjust your plan.
If standard antidepressants have not worked for you, esketamine may be worth exploring. Ask your family doctor or nurse practitioner for a referral, or contact our Calgary team to learn more. You can also read about our broader Esketamine program or return to our Calgary mental health clinic overview.
