Psychedelic Health UK
In what marks a positive development for patient access to psychedelic therapies in the US, the American Medical Association has released the language of its first-ever CPT code for psychedelic therapy.
The code, which will come into effect on 1 January 2024, has been established following an application by COMPASS Pathways and MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC) – which are both in late-stage clinical research for their psychedelic-assisted therapy.
The applications were supported by the American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association and the National Association of Social Workers.
COMPASS has stated that the new code will provide a mechanism to track and report the delivery of psychedelic treatments and will cover COMPASS’s COMP360 psilocybin treatment for treatment-resistant depression and MAPS’ MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) if they gain FDA approval.
The new code will be reported in increments of one hour and will cover multiple psychedelic compounds with psychological support models if approved.
It will also cover variable staffing structures and numbers and credentials of qualified healthcare professionals (QHPs) and offer a sub-code for the involvement of non-QHP clinical staff.
COMPASS has emphasised that the use of this category III tracking code will be key to developing optimal permanent and valued category I codes for psychedelic therapies as close as possible to their potential FDA approval.
Kabir Nath, Chief Executive Officer of COMPASS Pathways, commented: “This new CPT III code will help ensure broad and equitable access to psychedelic therapies, if approved, for people who urgently need new options to treat their mental health conditions.
Sean Hocking
Source link