Actor’s death heightens concerns among experts about inadequate oversight of the growing use of ketamine to treat depression. Matthew Perry’s relationship with ketamine ended in addiction and death , allegedly fed by illicit purchases from doctors and a dealer dubbed the “ketamine queen”. But it began with a therapy session at a clinic — one of the paths making it easier than ever to legally obtain the powerful anesthetic.
Ketamine clinics and telehealth providers in the United States have proliferated in recent years with relatively little regulatory oversight, seizing on the drug’s potential to deliver rapid relief for people suffering from depression. Patients can see a provider virtually and, if they have a qualifying diagnosis, have ketamine shipped directly to their homes. That convenience has made the drug accessible to tens of thousands of people.
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