“We estimate that between 1,500 and 2,000 patients per year need this treatment. At the moment, this treatment is offered in specialized centers. There are 13 operational centers, with which we can serve 250 patients,” says Eric Ruhé, psychiatrist at Radboud UMC. and the Dutch Psychiatric Association, in News and Co. “It’s just too little.”
Nose spray
This is Esketamina nasal spray. “It has a slightly different effect than the other antidepressants we’ve used so far. That means we see that in patients who don’t get better on the usual antidepressants, we still see about 50 percent of people who keep restructuring. This is very significant.”
Health insurers
Today the Association for Psychiatry accused health insurers of contracting insufficient health care institutions. “Contracts must be made very clearly, there must be more centers for people. We have those too, about 20 centers are eager to start with this treatment as well,” says Ruhé. “There are people who want to offer this promising treatment. But the problem is that the treatment is not permanent, because then there is no contract with the insurer.”
“We see that a huge barrier is being raised, because authorizations have to be requested.” This is an agreement whereby permission must be sought from the insurer prior to treatment if treatment can be provided. “It’s an option for health insurers, but they don’t really do it very often. For example, with very expensive treatments in oncology or dermatology, this isn’t required at all. That authorization system creates a threshold, there’s a delay. . But the most important thing is that too few centers have been affiliated that can offer this. Also that there are too few places. You have to imagine: initially you have to come to the hospital twice a week, for 4 weeks to receive treatment. “
fire letter
“It is something that we have invested a lot of energy in over the past year to inform, to explain why this treatment is important. But we note that it simply does not make any progress, if at all. That means now showing the need to write a letter. of fire”.
Lifesaving
When patients cannot receive this treatment, they miss out on potentially life-saving therapy. “These are not people who are a little dark. These are people who have been very dark for a long time. They move from bed to sofa and back,” Ruhé explains.
“Then they think about suicide or euthanasia plans when there are no more prospects. Unfortunately, I know stories where people go into euthanasia because they can’t get this treatment.”
government
What should the government do according to the Psychiatry Association? “We would still like to talk to the minister and explain what is happening here. The same goes for the parliamentarians. There will be a debate next week, maybe we will enter the scene there. What we really want is for there to be now. incentive for health insurers that this distressing situation ends and that people who need this treatment can receive it at an acceptable distance from where they live in 2023. We have been working to organize this for this year since March and 2022 is actually a year lost”.
