Risks and ethical concerns of using ketamine without approval through online telehealth services
Updated
Abstract
Direct-to-consumer telemedicine for mental health care has expanded significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Ketamine is increasingly prescribed off-label for psychiatric conditions through online telehealth services.
- A wrongful death lawsuit highlights potential risks associated with telehealth ketamine providers.
- Limited oversight of telehealth platforms may compromise patient safety when combining off-label prescribing and on-demand delivery.
- Clinicians bear significant responsibility and liability for patient safety in this context.
- Robust clinical relationships, monitoring, and accountability are essential for maintaining responsible care.
Simplified
Funding
Competing interests
Dr. Bregman is the owner of Washington Integrative Mental Health Services, where he provides consultation for the use of ketamine as a routine part of his work activities. He is also paid to provide clinical oversight for Avesta Ketamine & Wellness, and he has been paid to record online classes related to psycholytic ketamine for Palo Alto University. Dr. Sisti reports receiving support from the Scattergood Foundation. The other authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.
PubMed