Australia legalizes drugs based on substances such as ecstasy and hallucinogens

The Australian government has announced that it will authorize the prescription of drugs containing psychedelic substances by psychiatrists. MDMA popularly known as ecstasy It is psilocybin related to hallucinogens mushrooms .

The measure, which takes effect on July 1, provides for authorization for the treatment of specific mental health conditions.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will allow the prescription of MDMA for the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder and psilocybin for cases of depression resistant to treatment. According to the agency, these are the only conditions for which there is currently sufficient evidence for potential benefit to patients.

Prescribing will be limited to psychiatrists, given their specialist qualifications and experience in diagnosing and treating patients with serious mental health problems with therapies that are not yet fully established.

To prescribe, psychiatrists will need to be approved by the TGA Authorized Prescriber Scheme after approval by a human research ethics committee.

The decision recognizes the current lack of options for patients with specific treatment-resistant mental conditions. In this context, psilocybin and MDMA can be used therapeutically in a controlled medical setting.

For these specific uses, psilocybin and MDMA will be listed as drugs on a controlled drug list. However, the substances remain prohibited for all other uses that are not part of the prescribing context.

The TGA states that there are currently no approved products containing psilocybin or MDMA that have been evaluated by the agency for quality, safety, and efficacy. The amendment will allow licensed psychiatrists to legally access and supply a specific “unapproved” drug containing these substances to patients under their care for these specific uses.