‘No’ to use of illegal drugs in mental health treatment

A bid to make psychedelic drugs more accessible for psychiatrists to treat mental illnesses has been shot down by the health regulator.

Former Liberal cabinet minister Andrew Robb has slammed the Therapeutic Goods Administration after their interim decision decided against rescheduling psilocybin and MDMA. Picture: David Geraghty.

A bid to make psychedelic drugs more accessible for psychiatrists to treat mental illnesses has been shot down by the health regulator, but advocates say the preliminary ruling is riddled with errors.

The Therapeutic Goods ­Administration’s interim decision found rescheduling psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) and MDMA (ecstasy) from prohibited to controlled substances was “premature”, citing “insufficient” research, the risk of developing psychosis and a lack of training for Australian physicians.

However, prominent advocates for psychedelic therapy said Wednesday’s ruling failed to account for existing trials which had demonstrated the treatment was safe and effective, with former Liberal trade minister ­Andrew Robb saying the decision was “very disappointing”.

“It is valuable in that these ­interim decisions have flushed out all of the misnomers and self-serving misinformation that surrounds the substances,” Mr Robb said. “It is extremely disappointing because of the extent of errors which seem to sit behind the decision.”

Despite noting “promising” early research, the TGA said there were several issues which hadn’t been addressed by global trials, particularly the risk of psilocybin inducing prolonged psychosis.

“Psilocybin is an illicit drug with a high potential for misuse and an unknown safety profile,” the TGA ruling says. “The ­medium and long-term effects of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy are unknown, particularly in vulnerable populations, and the risk of developing psychosis may be high.”

However, Tania de Jong and Peter Hunt, the founders of Mind Medicine Australia — the charity behind the TGA application — said the decision contained “a lot of misinformation”, including about the risks of developing psychosis, which they labelled a “furphy”.

Of the 575 and 478 public submissions to the TGA for the rescheduling of psilocybin and MDMA respectively, 98 per cent were in support. Two of 11 submissions opposed to reclassification came from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, and the Australian Medical Association.

RANZCP president John Allan said while the medications showed promise, no other country had rescheduled either psilocybin or MDMA.

“We can’t go around doing things that aren’t proven safe … the world has been filled with the promises of things that might be good, then the harm is done and someone has to pick up the ­pieces,” he said.

The AMA said its opposition was based on the lack of large scale studies which it felt were necessary before the psychedelic medicines became more widely used.