Canadian Survey Shows Palliative Clinicians Favor Psilocybin but Lack Training for Integration

{"The cross-sectional study distributed an online questionnaire to physicians, nurses, caregivers and administrators in Canada's four largest provinces. Items assessed self-reported knowledge, attitudes toward psilocybin-assisted therapy, and perceived barriers including regulatory status, training deficits and institutional readiness. Response rate was not reported but the sample reflected multidisciplinary frontline involvement.","Sixty-two percent of respondents expressed favorable attitudes toward integrating psilocybin, with physicians showing the highest openness. Absolute support exceeded 70 percent among physicians versus 55 percent among other professionals. Key cited benefits included reduced end-of-life anxiety and improved acceptance of mortality, consistent with earlier RCTs such as Griffiths et al. (J Psychopharmacol 2016) reporting 60-80 percent clinically significant reductions in depression scores at six months.","Coverage overlooked how existing Canadian special-access programs already permit limited psilocybin use yet provide no standardized psychotherapy protocols or competency frameworks. This gap risks inconsistent delivery and adverse events, as neuroplasticity effects require structured integration sessions absent from current palliative curricula. Regulatory loosening in Oregon and Australia highlights similar training shortfalls that delayed rollout.","Next steps require prospective implementation studies measuring patient outcomes and clinician fidelity after targeted education modules. Health Canada should mandate such data before broader approvals rather than relying on attitude surveys alone."}