Two New Zealand psychiatrists have been approved by MedSafe to prescribe and administer MDMA for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.
MDMA is a synthetic psychoactive drug used recreationally, often called ‘ecstasy’, ‘E’ or ‘molly’.
It is the first time Medsafe has granted approvals for this type of therapy.
Until now, MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD has not been available as a treatment option in New Zealand. Australia became the first country to allow authorised psychiatrists to prescribe MDMA for PTSD in July 2023.
The two psychiatrists with approval are Wellington’s Dr Gary Wynn and Auckland’s Dr Tom Paterson. The pair spent more than a year working through the regulatory process, they said in a statement.
Wynn specialises in PTSD and trauma, and Paterson in addiction.
Each round of treatment was expected to cost about $15,000. A standard course would be three rounds, totalling 54 hours of therapy.
No public funding has yet been allocated.
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More info in the article.
Why the fuck is it $45k?
Haha I was also a little surprised. But I’ve also seen unfunded drugs and that price isn’t unusual. But surely MDMA isn’t under patent.
I guess it’s because it cost these two docs a fortune to get it approved?