Ketamine is increasingly used as an anesthetic and therapeutic agent, according to Anesthesia Business Consultants President and CEO Tony Mira.
Mr. Mira weighed the pros and cons of using the medication:
Pro: Experts from Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine see ketamine as an opioid-free alternative for pain management.
Con: Researchers from Stanford (Calif.) University found that the drug works the same way opioids do in the brain.
Pro: Ketamine can serve as a fast-acting antidepressant at low, sub-anesthetic doses, according to studies conducted in 2000 and 2006.
Con: Coding guidelines for ketamine treatment are highly specific, creating potential reimbursement challenges.