Clinics in Australia Where You Can Get Ketamine: A State-by-State Guide
Finding a clinic that offers ketamine treatment in Australia requires navigating a complex landscape of public hospitals, private psychiatric facilities, and specialised pain centres. Ketamine is a Schedule 8 controlled substance, meaning only authorised psychiatrists can prescribe it for depression, and treatment must occur under direct medical supervision . Consequently, access varies significantly by state, and public options remain limited. This guide outlines the clinics and pathways available across Australia.
Public Ketamine Clinics: Limited but Growing
Public ketamine clinics for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) are a relatively recent development in Australia. These services provide ketamine at low cost but have limited capacity and strict eligibility criteria.
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (Sydney, NSW)
The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital’s ketamine treatment clinic was the first public clinic of its kind in Australia, established in 2021 . Led by Professor Nick Glozier, it provides ketamine treatment for patients with severe, treatment-resistant depression. Referrals typically come through the hospital’s psychiatry services, and waitlists are common due to high demand.
Royal Melbourne Hospital (Melbourne, VIC)
The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Advanced Interventions in Mood Disorders (AIM) Clinic opened as Victoria’s first public ketamine clinic in 2023 . Directed by Professor Chris Davey, the clinic offers low-dose ketamine infusions for patients with severe depression who have not responded to conventional antidepressants. Referrals must come from a psychiatrist, and the service operates within specific catchment areas.
Private Psychiatric Clinics Offering Esketamine
Esketamine nasal spray (Spravato) is the only TGA-approved ketamine-based treatment for depression, and it must be administered under clinical supervision. Several private clinics across Australia offer this treatment.
New South Wales
Central Coast Clinic – Brisbane Waters Private Hospital (Woy Woy) : Dr Husayn Aly offers esketamine therapy for severe or treatment-resistant depression within a safe, structured, and closely monitored clinical environment . Dr Aly has particular expertise in treatment-resistant mood disorders.
Victoria
Fullarton Clinic (Epping, VIC) : This accredited private psychiatric hospital offers esketamine treatment as part of its advanced mental health services . Treatment is provided in a private hospital setting with clinical supervision and monitoring. Inpatient and outpatient options are available, with costs including psychiatrist assessment (up to $700, with Medicare rebate of approximately $184) and ongoing session fees (up to $300 psychiatrist monitoring plus hospital fees) .
NeuroCentrix Mornington (Mornington, VIC) : Located at Beleura Private Hospital, NeuroCentrix offers esketamine treatment alongside Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) . Their esketamine clinics and nurses are registered and certified by Janssen, and the clinics are ISO9001 accredited.
Northern Territory
GoodMind Clinic (Darwin, NT) : GoodMind Therapeutics delivers esketamine (Spravato) treatment for adults with treatment-resistant depression in an outpatient setting . The clinic works collaboratively with GPs, psychiatrists, and allied health professionals, and offers funded pathways through DVA and WorkCover. Clinical studies cited by the clinic show up to 70% of patients with TRD experience response or remission.
Queensland
AwareHub (Bundaberg, QLD) : AwareHub provides psychiatrist-led assessment and treatment for treatment-resistant depression, including esketamine (Spravato) where clinically appropriate . Treatment is delivered in a controlled clinical setting with monitoring during and after each session.
Sydney (NSW)
Black Dog Institute and Ramsay Clinic Northside : Professor Colleen Loo is involved with two Sydney clinics that provide ketamine therapy for depression . These clinics offer treatment within a research-informed framework, though they also face capacity constraints.
Pain Clinics Offering Ketamine Infusions
Ketamine is also used for chronic pain management, and several pain clinics across Australia offer ketamine infusions. These are distinct from psychiatric ketamine treatment and operate under different clinical protocols.
ACT
Canberra Region Neurology and Pain Centre (Phillip, ACT) : This centre offers ketamine and lignocaine infusions as part of its pain management services .
ACT Pain Centre (Deakin, ACT) : Provides inpatient admission for ketamine and lignocaine infusions, along with optimisation of pain medications .
Victoria
Pain Specialists Australia (Richmond, VIC) : This clinic offers inpatient ketamine infusions among its interventional pain therapy services . Led by Dr Nick Christelis, the practice welcomes private, workers compensation, TAC, and uninsured patients.
The Cost Reality: What You Will Actually Pay
The financial burden of ketamine treatment extends far beyond the medication itself. While the PBS listing of esketamine (Spravato) reduced the medication cost to $31.60 per script (or $7.70 for concession card holders) from May 2025 , the administration and supervision fees are not covered by Medicare or typically by private health insurance .
Professor Colleen Loo notes that treatment sessions cost patients around $300-$400 per session, and this aspect is not covered by the PBS . A typical course involves multiple sessions per week initially, potentially for 12 months or more. This creates a situation where cost, rather than clinical judgment, determines what treatment patients receive .
Generic ketamine offers a cheaper alternative at $5 to $20 per dose, but it is not TGA-approved for depression and lacks Medicare funding for the associated staffing costs . As Professor Loo explains, “There’s a huge difference in costs, but both have been shown to be really effective. But only one is subsidized by the government and formally approved, while the other more affordable option is used off-label” .
How to Access Ketamine Treatment
Access to ketamine for depression follows a strict pathway:
- Consultation: Speak with your GP or psychiatrist to review your symptoms and treatment history .
- Referral: Request a referral to a clinic that offers ketamine treatment.
- Assessment: A comprehensive psychiatric assessment determines suitability for treatment .
- Prescribing: Only AHPRA-registered psychiatrists can prescribe esketamine or ketamine for TRD . In NSW, psychiatrists must obtain approval from the NSW Ministry of Health for certain patients, including drug-dependent persons or for continuous treatment exceeding two months .
- Treatment: Esketamine and ketamine must be administered under direct medical supervision in a healthcare setting with established monitoring procedures .
Summary
Ketamine treatment in Australia is available through a growing but limited network of clinics. Public options exist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (Sydney) and Royal Melbourne Hospital (Melbourne), but waitlists are long and eligibility is strict. Private clinics offering esketamine include Fullarton Clinic (Epping), NeuroCentrix Mornington, Central Coast Clinic (Woy Woy), GoodMind Clinic (Darwin), and AwareHub (Bundaberg), among others. Pain clinics in the ACT and Victoria offer ketamine infusions for chronic pain management.
The most significant barrier remains cost. While the medication itself is now subsidised, the $300-$400 per session supervision fees create a financial hurdle that leaves many Australians without access to this potentially life-changing treatment . As Professor Loo notes, “Australian public patients with difficult-to-treat depression are not having the treatment that is optimal for them because of cost” .