Pentagon funds ketamine wafers for battlefield pain management

The Pentagon awarded a contract to develop small, dissolvable ketamine wafers designed for use by combat medics in field situations. These wafers would provide an alternative to current intravenous pain medications, potentially making it easier to treat wounded soldiers in environments where standard delivery methods are impractical.

This remains a research and development effort with no immediate changes to existing battlefield medical protocols. If approved for military use, the wafers would give medics another tool for managing pain and sedation when treating casualties during combat operations.