Australian researchers who have identified 14 fatal overdoses involving prescribed take-home ketamine are warning that the figure is probably an underestimate.

The team from UNSW Sydney’s National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre identified a total of 118 fatal self-administered ketamine poisonings — involving illicit or prescribed drugs — between 2000 and 2025.

About 85% occurred in the last 10 years.

This increase reflected both growing recreational use and an increase in off-label prescribing, going against guidelines published by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP).