Psychedelics are now approved for use by Australian physicians to treat PTSD and depression. Here is what we currently know.
In a world first, Australian physicians can now prescribe MDMA and psilocybin, the active ingredient of magic mushrooms, to patients suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
On July 1, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) gave physicians permission to prescribe psychedelic dosages for treating depression and PTSD.
But because of the controls and approvals in place, the TGA has cautioned that it may be “some time” before psychiatrists can start writing prescriptions.
Additionally, there are “strict controls” on the products’ importation and delivery, which can cause access delays.
Here is what is currently known about the new therapies:
- According to the TGA, in order to be qualified, a person must have “specific mental health conditions” and have “resisted approved treatments.”
- “Before patients for whom approved medicines are not effective can receive MDMA or psilocybin treatment, psychiatrists must carefully assess whether the benefits are expected to outweigh the risks in those patients,” according to the TGA.
- Patients will be able to receive prescriptions for the “controlled drugs” if they fit the requirements and are seeing an authorized physician.
What applications are there for psychedelics?
Doctors can administer MDMA, often known as ecstasy, in certain dosages to treat patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Depression sufferers can be administered psilocybin, the hallucinogenic component of psychedelic mushrooms.
It will be necessary to classify both mental health conditions as “hard to treat”.
The Associated Press was informed by a scientist that this places Australia “at the forefront of research in this field”.
How will these psychedelic treatments be prescribed?
Before they can prescribe the medication, doctors must first receive approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee and then be approved by the Authorized Prescriber (AP) in accordance with the TGA’s scheme.
“As psychedelic-assisted therapies are not well established, the controls under the AP scheme will ensure the safe and appropriate use of MDMA or psilocybin,” stated the TGA.
“Psychiatrists will need to show they have the necessary training, competency and robust evidence-based treatment protocols that appropriately control the risks to patients.”
The medications will be administered to patients in a supervised clinical setting during a maximum eight-hour treatment period.
How much will it cost?
According to the Associated Press, each patient’s therapy with the medications will cost roughly $10,000.
It was earlier stated by The Sydney Morning Herald that the estimated cost would be between $25,000 and $35,000.
The medications alone would cost between $1000 and $2000, plus the fees for the clinicians, researchers told the Herald.
The anticipated cost of the medications or treatment has not been disclosed by the TGA.In the future, it might be subsidized to increase the number of people who can receive the treatment.
