Bringing Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy to Palliative Oncology: Early Lessons from Real-World Implementation.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) June 3, 2026 Michel Dorval, Virginie Audet-Croteau, Sue-Ling Chang et al.
After one year of offering psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) at a Canadian university-affiliated tertiary care center, no patients had received the treatment despite clinicians and managers viewing it favorably. Interviews with ten professionals identified administrative and regulatory procedures, along with logistical constraints, as key barriers, while perceived clinical relevance and institutional leadership were facilitators. The estimated cost of delivering a complete PAT intervention ranged from 2,648 to 5,827 Canadian dollars per patient, excluding the cost of psilocybin itself. The gap between regulatory authorization and actual service uptake highlights the need for structured implementation strategies, sustained institutional support, and alignment between regulatory frameworks and clinical workflows.