Where to Get Ketamine in Australia: Legal Pathways, Clinics, and Costs

Ketamine is a Schedule 8 controlled prescription medicine in Australia, which means it is legal but strictly regulated. For treatment-resistant depression, only AHPRA-registered psychiatrists can prescribe it, and patients must receive the drug under direct medical supervision in a healthcare setting. Therefore, the answer to “where to get ketamine” depends on which treatment pathway you are seeking.

Public Hospital Ketamine Clinics

Public ketamine treatment services remain limited but are gradually expanding.

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (Sydney) opened as Australia’s first public ketamine treatment clinic in 2021, led by Professor Nick Glozier. The clinic treats patients with severe, treatment-resistant depression. Referrals typically come through the hospital’s psychiatry services, and waitlists are long due to high demand.

Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Advanced Interventions in Mood Disorders (AIM) Clinic opened in 2023 as Victoria’s first public ketamine clinic, 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: Esketamine Nasal Spray

Esketamine nasal spray (Spravato) is the only TGA-approved ketamine-based treatment for depression in Australia. It must be administered under clinical supervision. Several private clinics offer this treatment.

New South Wales: At Central Coast Clinic (Brisbane Waters Private Hospital, Woy Woy) , Dr Husayn Aly offers esketamine therapy in a safe, structured, and closely monitored clinical environment. He has particular expertise in treatment-resistant mood disorders.

Victoria: Fullarton Clinic (Epping) is an accredited private psychiatric hospital offering esketamine treatment, with both inpatient and outpatient options available. NeuroCentrix Mornington, located at Beleura Private Hospital, offers esketamine treatment. Its nurses are registered and certified by Janssen, and the clinics hold ISO9001 accreditation.

Northern Territory: GoodMind Clinic (Darwin) delivers esketamine treatment in an outpatient setting. The clinic works collaboratively with GPs, psychiatrists, and allied health professionals, and offers funded pathways through DVA and WorkCover.

Queensland: AwareHub (Bundaberg) provides psychiatrist-led assessment and treatment for treatment-resistant depression, including esketamine where clinically appropriate. Treatment is delivered in a controlled clinical setting with monitoring during and after each session.

Sydney: Black Dog Institute and Ramsay Clinic Northside also provide ketamine therapy, with Professor Colleen Loo involved. However, these clinics also face capacity constraints.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

Dr Nikola Ognyenovits in Brisbane provides a Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy program. The program is strictly on-site and observed, with no take-home ketamine and no ketamine infusions. It includes screening, preparation sessions, observed on-site ketamine sessions lasting 3 to 3.5 hours, and integration sessions. Patients need a referral from a GP or psychiatrist. The program operates on a private fee basis, with no private health insurance or DVA coverage.

The Cost Reality: Cheap Drug, Expensive Service

This is the central contradiction in Australian ketamine access. Esketamine (Spravato) has been PBS-subsidised since 1 May 2025, costing just $31.60 per dose (or $7.70 for concession card holders) . Before this, single doses cost between $500 and $900.

However, the PBS only covers the medication itself. The administration and monitoring fees are not covered by Medicare or private health insurance. Professor Colleen Loo notes that treatment sessions cost patients around $300-$400 per session, and this is “not covered by the PBS.” This means even with cheaper medication, patients still pay hundreds of dollars per supervised session.

By contrast, generic ketamine costs only $5-$20 per dose. However, because there is no Medicare Benefits Schedule code covering the staffing costs, the service delivery costs are not reimbursed. Professor Loo states: “Australian public patients with difficult-to-treat depression are not having the treatment that is optimal for them because of cost. It is cost determining what they get, not clinical judgment.”

Key Restrictions and Risks

Access to ketamine treatment has strict clinical limitations. Only AHPRA-registered psychiatrists can prescribe it. Other doctors must refer patients to a psychiatrist. In New South Wales, psychiatrists must obtain approval from the NSW Ministry of Health through the SafeScript NSW portal under certain circumstances, such as for a drug-dependent person or for continuous treatment exceeding two months.

Ketamine is not suitable for people with: active drug or alcohol addiction, a history of psychotic disorders or schizophrenia, unstable severe personality disorders, current psychological crisis, pregnancy or breastfeeding, untreated hypertension, unstable angina, or severe liver disease. Benzodiazepines (such as diazepam or temazepam) and lamotrigine can block ketamine’s beneficial effects.

The Illegal Market Reality

Non-prescribed ketamine circulates in Australia’s illicit market. The Australian Border Force (ABF) reports that ketamine border seizures increased in 2026, indicating a clear supply and demand market. In April 2026, a Merrylands man was charged over his alleged involvement in importing 10 kilograms of ketamine from the United Kingdom. He faced a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. AFP Detective Superintendent Morgen Blunden warned: “Ketamine can be fatal when mixed with alcohol or other drugs.”

Summary

There are three legal pathways to obtain ketamine in Australia. Public hospital clinics (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Royal Melbourne Hospital) have long waitlists and strict eligibility. Private psychiatric clinics offering esketamine operate in NSW, Victoria, the Northern Territory, and Queensland. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is available through practitioners such as Dr Ognyenovits in Brisbane. The core barrier is cost: PBS subsidy has made the medication cheap, but the $300-$400 per session supervision fees remain unreimbursed. For eligible patients who cannot afford private treatment, the public system is the only option, but capacity is extremely limited.