Overview

• Psilocybin remains unapproved in New Zealand; it can now be prescribed for severe treatment-resistant depression cases.
• Only Professor Cameron Lacey, who led the first psilocybin clinical trials at the University of Otago, may issue prescriptions under Medsafe oversight.
• The treatment is reserved for patients unresponsive to conventional therapies and requires rigorous monitoring and record-keeping.
• Clinical studies indicate that about 80 percent of participants experience sustained relief from anxiety and depression for at least six months.
• New Zealand joins Australia’s 2023 policy shift and follows Switzerland and select US states in expanding regulated psychedelic medicine access.