Psychedelic Treatment with Psilocybin: Addressing Medical Malpractice Risk and Physicians’ Concerns
The Journal of Law Medicine & Ethics January 1, 2025 Katherine Cheung, M J Brodie, Sue-Ling Chang et al. 2 citations
Physicians may hesitate to prescribe psilocybin for conditions like end-of-life anxiety and depression due to stigma and potential medical malpractice liability. This paper examines the risk of malpractice claims arising from psilocybin treatment in Canada, using exploratory vignettes to illustrate the relevance and limits of such claims. It argues that the absence of established medical standards, standardized training, and credentialing increases liability risks. More clinical trials, meta-studies, and knowledge sharing are needed to develop training programs and medical standards of practice to better realize psilocybin's potential.