Pharmacists’ perspectives on psilocybin in Canada

Abstract

Background

Psilocybin is the main psychoactive component of a naturally occurring psychedelic organism commonly referred to as “magic mushrooms.” Existing literature demonstrates beneficial neurologic effects in treatment-resistant depression, cancer-associated depression and anxiety, and substance use. The evidence base for psilocybin use is on the rise with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration owing to a resurgence in clinical research. As such, pharmacists need to be adequately equipped to navigate questions from consumers and care providers. There is currently no literature describing pharmacists’ perspectives on psilocybin. Evaluating pharmacists’ knowledge, experiences, and opinions about psilocybin may yield beneficial and applicable data to develop educational programs and clinical tools and guide psilocybin policy making.

Objective

The objective of this study was to evaluate the interest and opinions of pharmacists on psilocybin as an emerging therapeutic option.

Methods

Licensed pharmacists in Canada were invited to participate in an anonymous, online, 44-item survey aimed at evaluating pharmacists’ experiences, knowledge, and attitudes toward psilocybin. Recruitment for the study was done through multiple Canadian pharmacy association newsletters and via LinkedIn.

Results

Results showed that 73% of pharmacists lacked formal education about psilocybin. Forty percent of pharmacists had conversations about psilocybin less than once a month whereas 60% of pharmacists have never received questions about psilocybin. Furthermore, pharmacists are not comfortable with their knowledge with making recommendations (75%), monitoring (57%), or recommending doses of psilocybin (64%) to patients.

Conclusion

Pharmacists are open to embracing a role in psilocybin therapy and dispensing. Creation of clinical practice guidelines and increased accessibility to education materials are necessary to supplement pharmacists’ knowledge on psilocybin and improve their confidence when advising patients.