How ketamine is being prescribed, sold, and used by adults
Official title: Investigating the Ketamine Landscape: Availability, Medical and Recreational Use, and Effects
Funded at New York University School of Medicine · NIH-11324255 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how adults in the New York area get and use ketamine—both prescribed and recreationally—and how that links to harms like poisonings and seizures.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $687,871 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA060207-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324255 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 and older in the New York City tristate area who use ketamine medically or nonmedically, or who have experienced ketamine-related adverse events, are most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
People under 21, those living outside the New York tristate area, or those seeking direct clinical treatment will likely not receive direct benefits from this project.
What this research studies
We will combine data on prescribing, medical records, emergency and poison-control reports, and indicators of recreational use to map where ketamine is coming from and how people are using it. Our multidisciplinary team will analyze trends over time in the New York City tristate area and study links between prescribing, advertising, diversion, and nonmedical use. We will track population-level harms including poisonings, seizures, and deaths and look for patterns that suggest rising risk. The results will be used to guide public-health responses, safer prescribing, and targeted harm-reduction messaging.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help reduce ketamine-related harms by informing safer prescribing, public messaging, and targeted harm-reduction efforts.
How similar studies have gone: Public-health surveillance methods used for opioids and stimulants have successfully detected changing drug trends, though integrated ketamine-focused surveillance is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
New York University School of Medicine
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Palamar, Joseph J — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Palamar, Joseph J
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.