Something all patients should know if you live in California and five other states, Oregon, District of Columbia,Vermont, Washington and California. It is an option in Montana, requiring a terminal illness and a prognosis of less than six months to live.
Many other jurisdictions have similar bills in process.
Other Facts:
The specific method in each state varies, but mainly involves a prescription from a licensed physician approved by the state in which the patient is a resident.
The specific method in each state varies, but mainly involves a prescription from a licensed physician approved by the state in which the patient is a resident.
Physician-assisted suicide differs from euthanasia, which is defined as the act of assisting people with their death in order to end their suffering, but without the backing of a controlling legal authority.
In Oregon, "the physician must be a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) licensed to practice medicine by the Board of Medical Examiners for the State of Oregon. The physician must also be willing to participate in the Act."
In Vermont, "only a doctor of medicine or osteopathy licensed to practice medicine in Washington may write this prescription...A physician, nurse, pharmacist, or other person shall not be under any duty, by law or contract, to participate in the provision of a lethal dose of medication to a patient."
In Washington, "only a doctor of medicine or osteopathy licensed to practice medicine in Washington may write this prescription...participation is entirely voluntary. Health care providers are not required to provide prescriptions or medications to qualified patients."
In California, "An individual seeking to obtain a prescription for an aid-in-dying drug...shall submit two oral requests, a minimum of 15 days apart, and a written request to his or her attending physician. The attending physician shall directly, and not through a designee, receive all three requests required pursuant to this section."
Statistics:
The process of reporting applications and deaths varies by state. Only those states where physician-assisted suicide is mandated by law have a reporting process.
Oregon - Has had a physician-assisted suicide law on the books since 1997. Since its enactment, there has been a steady increase in both prescription recipients and the number of deaths. According to the 2015 Data Summary, as of January 27, 2016, prescriptions have been written for 1,545 people, and 991 patients have died from ingesting the drugs that were legally prescribed to them under the law.
Washington - According to the 2014 annual report, since 2009 prescriptions have been written for 725 people, and there have been 712 reported deaths.
Vermont - Between May 2013 and May 2016, physician reporting forms have been completed for 24 people, according to the Department of Health.
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