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Bright Spots in Healthcare


Jul 12, 2020

Many people know ketamine as a party or street drug but it now used as a novel treatment for patients with treatment-resistant depression.

Depression is a common illness worldwide with the World Health Organization reporting more than 264 million people are affected. A large percentage of patients with depression do not respond to standard treatment, leading doctors to find novel treatments for depression including the use of oral ketamine. 

Dr. Roger McIntyre, a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of Toronto founded the Canadian Rapid Treatment Centre of Excellence in a suburb of Toronto, Canada to offer intravenous ketamine infusion therapy to patients with mood disorders. 

During the podcast, Dr. McIntyre talks about which patients are good candidates for ketamine use, the proper dosage, and any potential side effects. Dr. McIntyre also talks about the components of a ketamine therapy program, the challenges he faced building his clinic, and what he might do differently if starting again.