First of all, what is physician assisted suicide or physician aid-in-dying, also known as PAS or PAD? It is a practice in which a patient that is terminally ill requests to end his or her own life by asking a physician to prescribe a lethal dose of medication (Starks et al.). The physician can assist directly or indirectly. They can just give the medication to the patients for self-medication or help them physically when the patient does not have enough energy or strength to do it. Some people confuse this practice with euthanasia because they are similar. The main difference is that in assisted suicide, the patient is in complete control over the decision. They decide when and whether to ingest it. With euthanasia, also known as mercy killing, the physicians take action to end one’s life to relieve suffering (Starks et al.). Nowadays, at least 5 countries and 5 states from the U.S. have legalized PAS, and at least 10 of the 50 states are considering doing so too (Anderson). These type of situations are where low numbers are best so it would be best to keep the numbers from increasing. Doing this will restore the faith people used to have before such medicine was invented.
As a matter of fact, not all doctors are in unison when it comes to many topics, including this because everyone has different opinions and
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It destroys the doctor-patient relationship. Doctors take an oath and oblige to do everything they can to help a patient. When they don’t follow what they’ve promised to do, they violate the Hippocratic Oath, which states, “I will keep the sick from harm and injustice. I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect” (Anderson). Prescribing a medication to end one’s life isn't medical care in any way. Doing this breaches a doctor’s role because they’re using the tools and supplies that is intended to heal, to kill