The AP (11/6, Perrone) reports, “As U.S. doctors scale back their use of opioid painkillers, a new option for hard-to-treat pain is taking root: ketamine, the decades-old surgical drug that is now a trendy psychedelic therapy.” Ketamine prescriptions “have soared in recent years, driven by for-profit clinics and telehealth services offering the medication as a treatment for pain, depression, anxiety and other conditions.” However, “with limited research on its effectiveness against pain, some experts worry the U.S. may be repeating mistakes that gave rise to the opioid crisis: overprescribing a questionable drug that carries significant safety and abuse risks.”
Related Links:
— “Mind-altering ketamine becomes latest pain treatment, despite little research or regulation,”Matthew Perrone , AP, November 6, 2023