Subcommittee narrowly advances bill directing Board of Pharmacy to prepare for FDA-approved psilocybin

Senator Boyseco presented Senate Bill 11 35, which would direct the Virginia Board of Pharmacy to promulgate regulations allowing prescribing, dispensing, possession, and use of FDA‑approved crystalline polymorph psilocybin if and when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the drug and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reschedules it.

Supporters said clinical studies show promise for treatment-resistant depression and PTSD and emphasized the potential for meaningful patient benefit after other treatments fail. Nicole Lauder of Compass Health, representing a company in clinical trials, and others described proposed clinical eligibility and administration: committee testimony noted patients would typically have failed three prior medications and that administration would occur under the supervision of mental-health professionals in licensed settings.

Opponents and some committee members raised process and precedent concerns. Several members questioned whether the bill creates an unusual legislative requirement that would force the board to act faster than its current practice. Caroline Turan, executive director of the Virginia Board of Pharmacy, said the board already has statutory authority to take expedited regulatory action after FDA scheduling and regularly places newly approved drugs on the next scheduled board meeting agenda; she noted the board typically meets quarterly and there can be timing constraints tied to the existing 30‑day federal register requirement. The administration signaled opposition in testimony.

Senator Boyseco said a substitute was available to allow action at the next board meeting and that the bill aligns with national recommendations urging states to expedite rescheduling after federal action. The subcommittee voted to report SB 11 35, and the clerk recorded the vote as 4–3 in favor.

The bill will move forward with close committee support and will raise questions about timing and administrative capacity during subsequent review.