Reimbursed Care Access in Cambodia

Currently classified as a strictly controlled substance under national drug-scheduling and anti‑narcotics policies, with no authorized medical use outside of approved clinical research. Cambodia’s national drug control architecture and enforcement posture treat novel/plant-derived psychedelics as illicit and prioritize supply interdiction and criminal prosecution; in practice some tourist/grey-market activity has been reported but this does not constitute legal medical access. # #

Currently classified as a strictly controlled substance under national drug-scheduling laws, with no authorized medical use outside of approved clinical research.

Cambodia does not have a publicly documented, nationally authorized, reimbursed program for esketamine (commercial nasal-spray products such as SPRAVATO®) and there is no evidence of country-level product marketing authorization or payer coverage for esketamine comparable to high‑income regulators. The country’s health financing priorities channel subsidies through mechanisms such as the Health Equity Fund (HEF) and social health insurance schemes; these schemes primarily reimburse basic, essential and hospital services and do not have established listings for branded specialty psychiatric inhalation/nasal agents in the public domain. Therefore, routine patient access to esketamine via the Cambodian health system would be extremely unlikely outside of a sponsored clinical trial or private importation under special authorisation. # #

Ketamine is an established anaesthetic and analgesic agent used in Cambodian clinical practice (as in many low- and middle-income countries) and therefore is available for approved hospital procedures and emergency medicine where hospital supply and clinical capacity permit. Cambodia’s national anti‑narcotics and drug control agencies, however, actively target diversion and trafficking of ketamine — large seizures and law‑enforcement operations have been publicized — underscoring that recreational/illegal distribution is treated as a major enforcement priority. # #

Medical reimbursement and formal pathways for psychiatric or outpatient ketamine (e.g., for depression) are not documented as established or publicly funded in Cambodia. Public insurance/social protection for the poor is organised through the Health Equity Fund (HEF) and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) for specific populations; HEF primarily pays for essential inpatient/outpatient services defined in the public Minimum/Complementary Packages of Activities, and there is no published HEF policy or national formulary listing that supports routine, reimbursed outpatient ketamine for psychiatric indications. As a result, any non‑anaesthetic (off‑label) ketamine use would be provided, if at all, privately and on an out‑of‑pocket basis or within formally approved clinical research. # #

Regulatory / operational details: the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) and related ministries coordinate drug control policy and enforcement; hospitals source and use ketamine for anaesthesia under standard procurement and hospital pharmacy rules rather than through a psychedelic-treatment programme. Any shift toward sanctioned psychiatric ketamine services or reimbursement would require national regulatory change, formulary adoption and explicit inclusion in HEF/NSSF purchasing rules. #

Currently classified as a strictly controlled substance under national drug scheduling laws, with no authorized medical use outside of approved clinical research.

Currently classified as a strictly controlled substance under national drug scheduling laws, with no authorized medical use outside of approved clinical research.

Currently classified as a strictly controlled substance under national drug scheduling laws, with no authorized medical use outside of approved clinical research.

Currently classified as a strictly controlled substance under national drug scheduling laws, with no authorized medical use outside of approved clinical research.

Currently classified as a strictly controlled substance under national drug scheduling laws, with no authorized medical use outside of approved clinical research.

Currently classified as a strictly controlled substance under national drug scheduling laws, with no authorized medical use outside of approved clinical research.