Smith, a long-time physician, It was the subject of a Washington Post article in 2022.hello Taking advantage of the flexibility of pandemic-era telemedicine that has allowed ketamine to be prescribed nationwide, it is licensed to practice medicine in nearly every state in the United States. Smith delves into the needs of patients looking for alternatives to antidepressants and prescribes ketamine to treat anxiety and depression, even though ketamine is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for that purpose. Some of his patients believe ketamine saved their lives.
Smith’s study and that of other home ketamine providers question the prudence of dispensing ketamine (a highly regulated drug with a history of recreational abuse) to patients who are not under direct medical supervision. controversial among academics and psychiatrists. Professional.
Smith did not respond to messages seeking comment Wednesday. The Drug Enforcement Administration also did not immediately provide comment upon request.
Dylan Savage, a 28-year-old industrial equipment executive in New York, had a follow-up appointment Tuesday morning at Smith’s office, where he renewed his prescription for ketamine tablets. Only an hour later, the pharmacy said it would refund Savage rather than fill the prescription.
He said he spent most of his nights on Reddit looking for other ketamine providers, and worries that Smith’s closure will put suicide patients at risk. You’ll have blood on your hands for pulling the rug out,” he said.
The announcement of Smith’s closure came on the same day the DEA extended telemedicine controlled substance prescriptions for six months. The ability to prescribe these drugs without meeting the patient in person was introduced during the pandemic and has changed the way many patients receive their medications, from Adderall to the opioid addiction drug buprenorphine.
In recent years, ketamine has emerged as a promising treatment for patients with severe depression, and derivatives of this compound have been approved by the FDA to treat depression under strict guidelines. However, many patients have their first experience through off-label use of the drug, such as clinics administering generic ketamine by infusion via an IV. We brought ketamine into patients’ homes by dissolving it in a drug and prescribing it in the form of lozenges available from pharmacies.
Smith said he had previously treated about 3,000 patients with ketamine, more than half of whom said it worked and only two wanted to abuse the drug. In interviews, Smith was candid about the limitations of his virtual practice and how seriously he took the risks of drug abuse.
“I could be stripped of my medical license. I could be fined and I could go to jail for continuing to treat people who are abusing ketamine. “I am like a medic running across a battlefield to tend to the wounded, and ketamine helps those I care for. I will help.
Now patients like Julie Minor Hackworth struggle to find ways to continue ketamine therapy.
51-year-old Minor-Hackworth from Kentucky said: She said ketamine was “much better” than antidepressants and described its effects as “immediate and obvious.”
Adam Pruett, a Vermont psychiatrist and one of Smith’s few ketamine providers with nationwide coverage, said he had been contacted by “well over 100” Smiths patients since Tuesday afternoon, saying they were in demand. “It’s beyond my capacity,” he added.
Many patients were drawn to Smith because of his business model. There, you typically pay $250 a month for a consultation and supply of ketamine, and whatever your pharmacy charges for lozenges. Patients say it’s much more affordable than packages that include coaching and therapy.
“It’s not what I need,” said a researcher from another Smith patient, Maryland, concerned that the stigma associated with ketamine could complicate his ability to obtain security clearance. “I need a routine every three days,” the dose he takes under Smith’s supervision.
“It looks like everyone else grabs the money. Dr. Smith never hit me with the intention of making money,” said Savage, a New York executive. He hopes to be able to find a general practitioner who will prescribe ketamine, noting that it’s classified by the DEA as less susceptible to abuse than Adderall.
“This is a drug that any doctor with a DEA license can prescribe,” he said. “They don’t because most of the medical community is ignorant and afraid.”
