Tag: psychedelic-assisted therapy

Insurance Coverage for Psychedelic Therapy

Vincent Joralemon Leave a comment

By Vincent Joralemon

As therapies using drugs like MDMA, psilocybin, and LSD advance through the FDA research and approval pipeline, patients should be prepared for steep price tags attached to these procedures. For example, experts estimate MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD will cost upwards of $12,000 per patient.

These high costs highlight the need for comprehensive insurance coverage because many of those experiencing symptoms of conditions like PTSD also frequently lack the resources to pay for such treatments. Looking at how the current system works, including presently available psychedelic therapies, can help to inform coverage policies moving forward.

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Psychedelic Lobbying and Regulatory Capture

Vincent Joralemon Leave a comment

By Vincent Joralemon

Psychedelic companies and advocacy groups are spending substantial resources to influence regulatory policy, shaping what the blossoming field will ultimately cohere into.

Although regulations are designed to protect the public interest, the rulemaking process is often dominated by lobbying from those with special interests in the fields meant to be regulated. When that leads to undue influence, the result is known as “regulatory capture.”

Yet, not all lobbying campaigns are necessarily problematic — the goal instead should be for regulators to leverage industry insights while maintaining independence in their ultimate decision-making.

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Introductory Editorial — Critical Psychedelic Studies: Correcting the Hype

The Petrie-Flom Center Staff Leave a comment

By Neşe Devenot

Since the 2022 publication of “Preparing for the Bursting of the Psychedelic Hype Bubble,” a JAMA Psychiatry Viewpoint by David Yaden and colleagues, a wave of scholarship and commentaries has emphasized the ethical importance of nuanced science communication about the still-nascent field of psychedelic medicine.

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Ketamine Is the New Viagra

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By Vincent Joralemon

Spravato, the first FDA-approved psychedelic therapy, just outsold Viagra. Johnson & Johnson’s ketamine-based formulation generated $183 million in Q3, surpassing Pfizer’s erectile dysfunction (ED) drug, which earned $110 million over the same period. Remarkably, a therapeutic made from ketamine, once dismissed as a “club drug” or “horse tranquilizer,” now sells more than one of the most notable 21st-century pharmaceuticals. 

Yet, these two drugs have more in common than meets the eye, and the path Spravato has taken looks strangely similar to that of Viagra. By looking at the journey traversed by Viagra over the past twenty years, we can predict where Spravato (and other psychedelic therapies) are headed.

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Want to Change Minds About Psychedelics? Start with PTSD

Vincent Joralemon Leave a comment

By Vincent Joralemon

Psychedelics have a public relations problem, due in part to overzealous promoters, genuine risks, and bad science. But, recent psychedelic legislation sponsored by conservative congressperson Dan Crenshaw shows minds can be changed in this space.

Public perceptions will shape efforts to reclassify, decriminalize, and make psychedelics available for therapeutic use. The most effective way to change peoples’ opinions is to highlight the success stories of those who have tried psychedelics. And, as Crenshaw’s story shows, psychedelic-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a compelling application for precisely those who harbor the most skepticism towards these drugs.

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A Precautionary Approach to Touch in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

The Petrie-Flom Center Staff Leave a comment

By Neşe Devenot, Emma Tumilty, Meaghan Buisson, Sarah McNamee, David Nickles, and Lily Kay Ross

Amid accelerating interest in the use of psychedelics in medicine, a spate of recent exposés have detailed the proliferation of abuse in psychedelic therapy, underscoring the urgent need for ethical guidance in psychedelic-assisted therapies (P-AT), and particularly relating to touch and consent.

Acknowledging the need for such guidance, McLane et al. outline one set of approaches to touch in a recent Journal of Medical Ethics blog. However, we find their piece at odds with the available information in the fields of P-AT and psychotherapy. We explain three major concerns: consent and autonomy, risk mitigation, and evidence and reasoning. In our view, these concerns merit a precautionary approach to touch in P-AT, given the current state of research on touch-based interventions.

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