Drugs: ketamine solutions classified as narcotics

It is renowned for its anesthetic and analgesic properties. But not only… In festivals or clubs, ketamine is all the rage. Coming from England, the tendency to consume “keta”, or “ké”, has taken hold in France, in the confidential festive environment as well as in mainstream establishments.

To avoid the diversion of this product, originally intended for human and veterinary medicine, the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) has decided to include injectable preparations of ketamine on the list of narcotics.

Abuse and trafficking

“This follows an increase in its recreational use and the number of cases of abuse. Reports of ketamine trafficking are also on the rise,” says the agency.

Indeed, for several years, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has been drawing the attention of States to the abuse and international trafficking of ketamine. The United Nations (UN) has for its part passed several resolutions to strengthen its control of this substance.

In France, ketamine is used as an anesthetic for humans and animals. Specialties for human use are reserved for hospital use, or for use in emergency situations. The administration of specialties for veterinary use is reserved exclusively for veterinarians and the delivery of these specialties is prohibited to the public.

Brakes too limited

“The first cases of ketamine abuse were reported in 1992,” recalls the ANSM. Since then, the product has been subject to surveillance, which in 1997 led to the listing of ketamine and its salts as a substance on the list of narcotics. Ketamine injection preparations remained on the list of products available by prescription, without further restrictions.

As the abuses continued, injection preparations were subject to other restrictions, which figure among the narcotics regulations. Among them, the obligation, from 2001, to declare a theft and to store the products in cupboards, or premises, locked.

But it’s still not enough. “The latest addictovigilance report showed an increase in the number of cases of abuse collected by the CEIP* network since 2002”, writes the ANSM again.

A deadly risk

The abuse of ketamine is responsible for sometimes serious clinical signs that can lead to hospitalization and death (convulsions, severe arterial hypertension, heart rhythm disorders, respiratory depression, respiratory arrest, loss of consciousness, transient akinesia, hallucinations, etc.) . In chronic consumers, urological complications are also described in the literature.

Given the potential for abuse and dependence of ketamine and the data from the latest addictovigilance report, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has decided to include injectable preparations of ketamine on the list of substances classified as narcotics by decree dated January 19, 2017. The measure will be applicable on April 24, 2017.

From this date, injectable preparations of ketamine will follow the regulations applicable to narcotics, namely, in addition to the parts already applied, prescription by secure prescription and traceability of entries and exits on a special register.

* CEIP: Center for Evaluation and Information on Drug Dependence