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 veggie
Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,504
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 [CO] Sudden closure of ‘Ketamine Wellness Centers’ leaves some veterans in a lurch for treatment 
#28255312 - 03/30/23 07:54 PM (1 year, 17 days ago) |
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Sudden closure of ‘Ketamine Wellness Centers’ leaves some veterans in a lurch for treatment
March 30, 2023 - KRDO
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- After Ketamine Wellness Centers announced on its website they were closing all locations last week, APEX Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Colorado Springs is now the only provider in the state who bills insurance for ketamine administration.
"We do not turn away a veteran regardless of their ability to pay," Heather Copeland owner of APEX said.
In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a ketamine nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression. According to the FDA, due to the risk of serious adverse outcomes resulting from sedation and dissociation caused by the nasal spray and the potential for abuse and misuse of the drug, it is only available through a restricted distribution system.
In 2022, the FDA said they became aware of safety reports involving ketamine to treat psychiatric disorders which they said may be putting patients at risk.
At that time the FDA said, "Ketamine is not FDA-approved for the treatment of any psychiatric disorder."
With the closure of all Ketamine Wellness Centers, Copeland said veterans are hugely affected.
“A veteran having insurance — it’s hard to get referrals — it’s hard to get what they need and by the time they get here they’re pretty well at their wit's end. So — can you imagine going to Ketamine Wellness Center after all that time and then showing up for your appointment and it being closed.”
Copeland is a nurse practitioner by trade and has worked in healthcare administration for decades. Apex has been in business for 22 years. They are board-certified in pain management for things like hospice, cancer, and PTSD.
Other pain management clinics in the state only take cash, and Apex bills insurance regardless of what the patient can pay.
“We have people calling just absolutely in tears. We’ve had a couple of spouses call saying they are terrified of what will happen to their veteran husbands or wives without their treatment," Copeland said. She added that she told them on the phone if they could get to the clinic, Apex would service them immediately.
Copeland said if the drug is used correctly and the patient is monitored closely, ketamine injections can pull a suicidal patient back from the edge and buy them valuable time.
"It’s been successfully used since the 1960s to treat PTSD, chronic depression, anxiety, treatment-resistant depression, along with suicidal ideation."
"If something is not done we're going to lose employers. We're going to lose businesses."
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 NotSheekle
OTD FOREVER
 
Registered: 02/05/23
Posts: 2,055
Loc: Libertatia
Last seen: 4 months, 10 days
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 Re: [CO] Sudden closure of ‘Ketamine Wellness Centers’ leaves some veterans in a lurch for treatment [Re: veggie]
#28255357 - 03/30/23 08:19 PM (1 year, 17 days ago) |
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Can you imagine if they banned benzos‽
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Blue Cthulhu
Undefined
Registered: 05/27/19
Posts: 685
Loc: With the loons
Last seen: 16 hours, 13 minutes
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Re: [CO] Sudden closure of ‘Ketamine Wellness Centers’ leaves some veterans in a lurch for treatment [Re: NotSheekle]
#28256148 - 03/31/23 12:46 PM (1 year, 16 days ago) |
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^And Adderall 
--------------------
 
"Things are true that I forget, but no one taught that to me yet."
A disembodied-re-embodied consciousness be-ing
(With all the accoutrements.)
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sk8fast
Tripping skater
Registered: 08/02/10
Posts: 407
Last seen: 27 days, 21 hours
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Re: [CO] Sudden closure of ‘Ketamine Wellness Centers’ leaves some veterans in a lurch for treatment [Re: Blue Cthulhu]
#28258793 - 04/02/23 08:23 AM (1 year, 15 days ago) |
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I'd be pissed if I was getting free ketamine and they took it away too. Guess they're gonna have to start paying Chinese chemists or the local rave kid to get it now😢
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