Pubdate: Mon, 22 Aug 2011
Source: Otago Daily Times (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2011 Allied Press Limited
Contact:  http://www.odt.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/925
Author: Eileen Goodwin
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?158 (Club Drugs)

'NEGATIVE PUBLICITY' HALTED KETAMINE TRIAL

"Negative publicity" about ketamine meant a trial of the drug on 
depressed cancer sufferers stopped recruiting participants for more 
than a month, Dunedin Hospital medical oncologist Dr David Perez says.

"It was halted for new participants because of the negative publicity 
around the drug at the time, not because of any doubts about the 
study itself," Dr Perez, a trial co-investigator, said.

So far, only one person is taking part.

The trial, which fully resumed last week, is testing ketamine's 
effectiveness in relieving depression in people with advanced cancer.

On July 15, the National Health Board announced an investigation of 
the same drug's "off-label" use last year for depression in mental 
health service patients. An appointed group is determining whether 
its use was experimental. It is also examining how "off-label" 
prescribing is managed at the hospital.

Ketamine is licensed by Medsafe as a fast-acting general anaesthetic, 
and is used for pain relief in milder doses. It is a class 
C-controlled drug, used recreationally for its hallucinogenic effects.

Clinicians can prescribe drugs "off-label", but not for experimental use.

The NHB group's findings will be included in this month's report on 
Dunedin Hospital. A spokesman yesterday said there was no firm date 
for the group to report back.

The Health and Disability Commissioner is also investigating ketamine 
use in Dunedin Hospital's mental health service.

The cancer patient trial's principal investigator is psychiatrist 
Prof Paul Glue, head of psychological medicine at the Dunedin School 
of Medicine, whose prescribing of ketamine for mental health patients 
prompted complaints.

The cancer patient trial was approved in December by the Ministry of 
Health's Lower South regional ethics committee, and has also been 
approved by the Southern District Health Board's internal ethics committee.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom