A South Carolina physician who built a nationwide practice prescribing ketamine to patients with mental illnesses was shut down by the Drug Enforcement Administration, The Washington Post reported May 10.
Scott Smith, MD, of Mount Pleasant, S.C., notified his patients that his practice was closing immediately per DEA instructions and wrote, "My privileges to prescribe controlled substances have been suspended until further notice."
During the pandemic, Dr. Smith obtained medical licenses in almost every state and capitalized on pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities, which allowed him to prescribe ketamine nationally. Ketamine is not approved by the FDA to treat anxiety and depression, but many of Dr. Smith's patients credit the drug with improving their mental health.
Critics worry the dispensing of ketamine, a tightly regulated drug, would increase the cases of abuse; however, Dr. Smith said he only encountered two patients who wanted to abuse the drug.
Ketamine is emerging as a promising treatment for people with severe depression and many patients have their first off-label use of the drug through infusion via IV at a clinic. Dr. Smith and a growing number of startups prescribe the drug in the form of lozenges that dissolve under the tongue and can be obtained from compounding pharmacies.
The closure of Dr. Smith's business has displaced many patients who still desire treatment. While Dr. Smith charged $250 for a monthly consultation and supply of ketamine, in addition to charges from the compounding pharmacy, IV infusions can cost several hundred dollars per treatment.
The DEA shut down Dr. Smith's business the same day it extended the telehealth prescription rules until November.