Online prescribing of psychedelics is not currently possible in most countries as even though the taboo against the medicines is falling there is a historical concern about administration should be done in the correct set and setting. This is compounded by the fact that in the United States, the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) makes it illegal for healthcare providers to prescribe controlled substances, including most psychedelics, without a face-to-face examination. The CSA also requires that prescriptions for controlled substances be written on special forms and be physically delivered to the pharmacy.
There are some exceptions to this rule, such as in the case of telemedicine, where a healthcare provider may prescribe controlled substances via a video call if certain conditions are met. However, the use of psychedelics for medical purposes is still highly regulated and not widely accepted.
One recent example of poor online prescribing practice is a story of a patient who was prescribed 75 doses of Ketamine in 5 minutes online which was then delivered to his house for under $300. Whilst providing access to low-cost medicine for patients is an ethical virtue of practice one should keep in mind that there is an online prescribing best practice which should be followed. This includes online prescribing risk analysis and subsequent mitigation which should be performed after each medicine is added to an online prescribing formulary.
However, if proper safeguards are in place there are a wide range of opportunities in the medical space, including:
If you would like more information concerning these opportunities you can contact one of our expert consultants here.
