The Royal College of Psychiatrists has issued a statement on MDMA and ketamine, calling for the use of these substances in the treatment of mental health issues in exceptional cases, as reported by the Financial Times.
The British agency recommends that new avenues be created to allow patients access to psychedelic-assisted treatments in exceptional cases. In what the newspaper calls a “rare appeal,” Jonny Martell, a consultant psychiatrist, urged UK authorities to adopt protocols that would allow patients with no other options to be treated with experimental drugs under strict conditions, while cautioning, however, against claims that go beyond the scientific evidence.
In a report published on September 19, the College—which is the leading professional body for psychiatry in the United Kingdom—joined the growing number of other academics, politicians, and charitable organizations that have been advocating for the easing of restrictions that hinder research on these substances.
Preliminary studies suggest that substances such as MDMA and ketamine may treat a wide range of conditions, including depression, post-traumatic stress, and substance dependence. However, he cautioned that the evidence is not yet strong enough to justify their routine use.
“About one in four people in the United Kingdom experiences a mental health problem each year, which represents an estimated cost of 300 billion pounds to the economy,” writes the Financial Times.
Even so, treatment options remain limited, according to Oliver Howes, chair of the college’s psychopharmacology committee and co-author of the report. The same expert noted that, for every ten new cancer drugs that reach patients, only one psychiatric drug is made available to those who need treatment.
To date, ketamine is the only psychedelic-related substance approved for treatment in the United Kingdom. However, the drug is not available through the British National Health Service, as it was rejected by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the grounds of cost-effectiveness. The Royal College of Psychiatrists expressed disappointment with this decision.
David Nutt, director of the Center for Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, believes the report was positive, adding that research on psychedelics has been severely limited by legal restrictions. However, the expert had hoped the report “would go further.”
