Top psychiatrist has safety fears over TGA’s approval of psychedelics: ‘It’s a big jump’
Professor Colleen Loo, of the Black Dog Institute, says she was surprised by the speed of the TGA's decision
A leading psychiatrist says the TGA jumped the gun in approving psychedelics for clinical use, saying questions around their efficacy and safety need to be resolved before their use.
On Friday, the medicines regulator announced it would classify drugs containing the psychedelic substances MDMA and psilocybin as controlled drugs (S8) for specific clinical use in treatment-resistant conditions.
Under the downscheduling – due to take effect from 1 July – the use of MDMA will be restricted to PTSD, and psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression.
The landmark decision makes Australia one of the first countries to recognise the psychedelics as medicines.
