Australia has become the first country to permit the prescription of psychedelic drugs psilocybin (found in hallucinogenic mushrooms) and MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy) for treating mental health conditions.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved the regulation in February, which came into effect on Saturday.
Psychiatrists will now have the ability to prescribe these substances, which are typically used recreationally and illegally.
Under the new regulation, synthetic MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) can be prescribed to treat post-traumatic stress syndrome, while psilocybin can be used for depression cases that have not responded to other treatments.
The TGA, responsible for drug regulation in Australia, states that there is sufficient evidence for the potential benefits of these substances in these specific conditions.
While other countries allow the therapeutic use of these drugs, Australia is the first to regulate their use nationwide.
Psychiatrists must obtain TGA approval and have their prescriptions reviewed by an ethical research committee before prescribing drugs containing these substances.
The TGA acknowledges the limited options available for patients with treatment-resistant mental illnesses but emphasizes the need for controls to monitor potential adverse effects.
Outside of the approved uses for these two conditions, psilocybin and MDMA remain prohibited substances.
Although there are currently no authorized products containing these substances in the Australian market, licensed psychiatrists will be allowed to supply “unapproved drugs” containing psilocybin and MDMA under the TGA’s supervision.