By Natasha Baer
Two Australians have become the first in the country to receive psychedelic medicine.
January 19th, 2024, marks a significant moment in the world of clinical psychedelics and mental health treatment. The patients have received their doses of the psychedelic substance MDMA, which marks the first time patients have received these treatments in Australia outside of a research setting in over 50 years.
This action comes off the back of the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA) decision on February 3rd, 2023 to reclassify MDMA and Psilocybin from Schedule 9 (Poisons) to Schedule 8 (Controlled Substances) on a restricted basis. And subsequently, from July 1 2023 psychiatrists have been able to apply to become approved prescribers, as part of therapy for patients with treatment-resistant depression (psilocybin) and treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (MDMA).
The two psychiatrists to treat the patients are Dr Eli Kotler and Dr Ted Cassidy, they both have authorised prescriber status from the ethics board. They will continue to provide the patients with integration work from their clinics. Dr Kotler said, “This is a hopeful step toward a mental health system which heals humans rather than treats Psychiatric disorders, and which values integration over managing symptoms.”
While this treatment remains almost inaccessible for a number of reasons – cost, availability, navigating regulations to name a few – it is a sigh of relief for those who have been holding their breath waiting for the outcome of the TGA’s decision to come to fruition.
We can’t wait to hear updates about how the patients are doing in their respective mental health journeys.
Present Mind wants to give a shoutout to Mind Medicine Australia. MMA is a charity whose work on lodging the reclassification application made all of this possible. And, for delivering the Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies (CPAT) of which both psychiatrists are graduates.
Source: Mind Medicine Australia: Psychiatrists give the first psychedelic medicine dosing sessions in clinical settings in 50 years this week in Melbourne Australia