The treatment order must come from a psychiatrist who has examined the patient, reviewed their records, and prescribed an evidence-based TMS protocol for OCD. This overseeing physician does not need to perform the TMS sessions personally. However, they must be accessible when necessary.
TMS generally has a very low risk of seizures, but precautions should be taken for patients with specific disorders or medical conditions that increase seizure risk. An assessment weighing potential treatment benefits against side-effect risks should be made.
TMS is contraindicated for OCD patients with magnetic-sensitive medical devices less than 10 cm from the TMS coil, such as cochlear devices. However, MRI-safe aneurysm clips, stents, staples, dental amalgam fillings, spinal fusion hardware, and nerve stimulators are acceptable for use with TMS.