Singapore, June 20 -- Medsafe, New Zealand's regulator of medicines and medical devices,has given approval forpsychiatrists to prescribe medicinal psilocybin for treating treatment-resistant depression.

This is the first time psilocybin will be prescribed outside of a research setting in New Zealand, and will give people with this severe condition more options.

The psychiatrist can prescribe, supply and administer medicinal psilocybin to any patient they have assessed and diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression.

There are a number of safeguards in place to ensure psilocybin is prescribed appropriately. The psychiatrist will need to follow a defined process, which includes carrying out detailed clinical assessments and considering...