‘You will not be able to get this medicine from your GP and take it home and squirt it up your own nose.’
A new nasal spray, that’s chemically similar to Ketamine, is being added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, for adults with treatment resistant depression.
Spravato® (Esketamine) is the first new type of depression medicine to be added to the PBS in 30 years.
Professor Ian Hickie AO, Co-Director of Health and Policy, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney says Spravato targets a different chemical in the brain, than traditional antidepressants.
“Treatment resistant depression is a very important and a very disabling illness in Australia.
About one in seven Australians has a depressive illness, about two thirds of those will respond to commonly available psychological or medical treatments.”
“You will not be able to get this medicine from your GP and take it home and squirt it up your own nose.”
Instead, it will be provided under strict medical supervision.
Twice a week at first, weekly for the next month, and then weekly or fortnightly until depressive symptoms improve.
The treatment will only be given to patients who have not responded adequately to at least two different antidepressants of adequate dose and duration.
Pensioner or concession card holders will pay just $7.70 and general patients will pay $31.60 for each dose of the medicine.
Veteran Garth Camac has been living with treatment resistant depression for 15 years, and untreated depression for 15 before that.
“It is an expensive medication and having it added to the PBS is a great thing.”
During his service in the Australian Army, he was deployed to Iraq twice.
In Malaysia, completing training, five of his men died in a horrific car accident.
Life after war was a battle he couldn’t seem to win.
“I’ve been in a really uncomfortable place where I’ve had to decide whether or not today is the day to kill myself, or can I go a little bit further.”
“I had no plans to be alive at 50.”
He’s now 52.
For the past two years, he’s been taking Spravato.
“It’s taken me two years to get to where I am now.”
“I enjoy being out in public now, I’m not scanning for danger, I’m not worrying that something will explode.”
If you or someone you know is struggling:
- Open Arms (for veterans and families): 1800 011 046
- Lifeline: 13 11 14
- Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
