Dutch Minister Pia Dijkstra to Open Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research
The Dutch minister of Medical Care, Pia Dijkstra (D66), will inaugurate the sixth edition of the Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research (ICPR) on June 6th. We are excited about the growing support by the Dutch government for psychedelic-assisted therapy, a field gaining significant momentum across Europe.
Previously held by Ernst Kuipers, the role of Minister of Medical Care has passed to Dijkstra, who continues the support for research into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics.
Under Kuipers, the Dutch government had already shown a commitment to leading in this innovative area. Kuipers stated that the Netherlands should be at the forefront of psychedelic research. He also contributed to a report commissioned by the Dutch research funding organisation ZonMw that offered a first glimpse of the potential psychedelic research landscape in the Netherlands. Lastly, he allocated 1.6 million euros of funding to psychedelic research.
The shift in leadership, while maintaining support for psychedelic research, underscores a broader acceptance and interest in psychedelic research among politicians, thanks to increasing evidence of its effectiveness. The upcoming ICPR and Pathways to Access Summit promises to further explore these possibilities, continuing the Netherlands’ influential role in this important field of medicine.
For more insights into psychedelic-assisted therapy and the critical perspective of OPEN’s director Joost Breeksema & Ernst Kuipers, check out the video below. (in DUTCH)
EUROPEAN SUPPORT
You might wonder whether this support for psychedelic-assisted therapy is only reserved to the small and progressive country of the Netherlands. But this is certainly not the case. In the past year, support has been gaining momentum and is expanding towards the scale of European support.
Recently, Joost Breeksema, the executive director of the OPEN Foundation chaired the meeting at the European Parliament to launch PsyPal – a 6.5 million EU-funded multi-site research consortium with over 19 different partners, including OPEN Foundation, that seeks to alleviate suffering from existential distress in patients with a incurable illness through the use of psilocybin.
Only a few days later, Breeksema participated in a two-day workshop at the European Medicines Agency to explore the views of stakeholders and experts on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, providing further clarity on defining the safe and effective use of psychedelics, informing on regulatory challenges associated with the development and evaluation of psychedelic medicines, and defining areas for which further regulatory guidance is required.
towards safe and responsible integration of psychedelic-assisted therapy
As thrilling as it is to witness the rapidly increasing support for psychedelic-assisted therapy, a critical perspective and patience are the keys to shaping a future where psychedelic therapy can be integrated safely and responsibly for the benefit of science, healthcare and society.
For the moment, we look forward to welcoming you to the sixth edition of ICPR, which will be held from June 6 to June 8 at the PHIL in Haarlem, the Netherlands.
