The American Society of Ketamine Physicians (ASKP) convened on 19-21 September at the Gaylord Rocky Mountain Resort in Denver, Colorado.
The American Society of Ketamine Physicians (ASKP) convened on 19-21 September at the Gaylord Rocky Mountain Resort in Denver, Colorado.
The excitement of the crowd sparkled, at ASKP’s national conference, almost as much as the Gaylord Rockies Resort itself. Healthcare providers from all over the country clustered in groups, discussing how their patients were doing, how they adapted their protocols, and progress with billing insurance companies.
The hot topic at hand? Ketamine.
Psychologists talked about ketamine-assisted therapy. A palliative and hospice physician discussed an incredible case study where she used topical ketamine for terminal cancer pain. There was even an in-depth presentation on ketamine and its interactions with women’s hormones.
Dr. Randy Frederick and I scribbled notes during lunches about research articles we needed to look up. We exchanged business cards, made friends, and talked about how we approach ketamine therapy at Alchemy Wellness. We learned so much–but I want to share the three biggest things that we’re most excited about below.
Insurance companies are starting to reimburse for ketamine infusions.
One of the shortest but most promising sessions of the conference was one regarding billing to insurance companies. While ketamine as a drug has been FDA approved for anesthesia since the 1970’s, and is on the World Health Organization list of Essential Medicines, ketamine for pain and mood disorders has become a practice only in the past twenty years. Since the FDA approval of esketamine (a derivative of ketamine) for treatment resistant depression, some practices have been having more success with reimbursement for treatment. This is incredibly exciting for us as ketamine providers, as the access to this treatment is very difficult, despite having health insurance. At Alchemy Wellness, we are beginning the process for establishing a relationship with major insurance carriers, in an effort to expand access and make treatment more affordable. We want to help more people, and with insurance companies starting to acknowledge the work we do, we are hopeful that we will be able to.
Ketamine therapy for mood disorders is so much more about the experience than just the interactions with receptors in the brain.
One of the speakers talked about the impact of combining talk therapy with these essential elements of mind-‘set’ and ‘setting’. The mind is more open to new ideas and ways of thinking because of the ketamine experience, and people are more open to changing long-established habits than ever before. While we advise our patients to maintain counseling during ketamine treatment, we will be encouraging patients to purposefully schedule therapy appointments so that they will benefit the most. We are also looking to incorporate therapy into our services, in the future.
Ketamine can be effective for pain in a cream.
Dr. Jennifer Winegarden, an expert in hospice and palliative care, presented a case study where she used ketamine in a cream form to help with a cancer patient’s pain at end of life. She was able to decrease the patient’s opiate consumption, and improve overall quality of life. She shared the ‘recipe’ of other non-opiate medications she combined with the ketamine, so that other providers may use it to assist with localized pain. We are very excited to start using this form of ketamine with certain pain patients, to prolong the pain-relieving effects of infusions.
Rachel Featherstone is a nurse practitioner practicing at Alchemy Wellness, the newest ketamine clinic in Richmond, Virginia. Her professional focus is on the intersection of reproduction, sex, and mental health. She is a proud graduate of Frontier Nursing University, where she studied women’s health. When she’s not reading journal articles or kayaking, she’s spending her time resurrecting the Greater Richmond Maternal Mental Health Coalition.
