Comment: There is ongoing debate and renewed interest in the use of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes. If shown to be useful how do we ensure equal access to treatment? this article from the Independent touches on some of these issues.
As lengthy as the process to FDA approval has been, there’s still a lot on the line for clinicians and activists. They want to see these treatments available, but they want to get them right. To this end, Maps is launching a health equity initiative this autumn to benefit marginalised clients, including therapist and supervisor scholarships and patient access funds. “It’s important to really slow down and really think about what – if we move towards mainstreaming psychedelics using psychotherapy – what implications does this have,” says Reed. “Is this going to be an elusive form of medicine, where there’s going to be a select few who have the luxury to take the time off to get the treatment, or who have the funds to purchase the treatment? Or are we going to make it accessible to some of the most vulnerable populations that need it: people of colour, black folks, trans folks, trans women of colour particularly? … Who are we really targeting in psychedelic medicine? That’s a huge question.”
Click here to view original web page at www.independent.co.uk