Health Canada Allow Physicians to Request Banned Drugs on Behalf of Patients

OTTAWA–In a groundbreaking decision, the Canadian government is changing the way patients can access psychedelic therapies with restricted drugs, including MDMA and psilocybin.

Through an amendment to federal regulations, Health Canada is now allowing physicians to request access to restricted drugs on behalf of patients through the Special Access Program.

This program is meant to streamline access to special treatments for patients with serious or life-threatening conditions in instances where other therapies have failed or are unsuitable.

While the official communication made sure to note that “this regulatory change will not result in large-scale authorization for access to restricted drugs,” the event can be seen as an official acknowledgement of MDMA and psilocybin’s therapeutic potential and eventually lead to further decriminalization measures.

Benzinga carried the full story here.