The Pros And Cons Of Physician Assisted Suicide

Many terminally ill patients choose to hasten their death by ingesting a dose of lethal medications, prescribed by their physician. This is a very controversial topic known as physician-assisted death. There are several other terms people use interchangeably with physician-assisted death. Some examples are physician-assisted suicide, aid in dying, euthanasia, and death with dignity. There are only five states that have laws set in place, pertaining to physician-assisted death. One well-known law is Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act. This act legally allows physicians to write these prescriptions, without facing any criminal charges. Their patients must meet certain requirements, prior to the consideration of making the medications available

The patient must verbally request the medications twice (at least fifteen days apart) and then submit a written request (“Right to Die”). A couple of other states have adopted very similar laws. Of course, there are people on both sides of this debate. Often, those who oppose these laws utilize the terms physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. Some of their arguments include: it goes against the Hippocratic Oath, pain can be treated through palliative care, it’s against God’s will, and that these physicians are committing murder. Those in favor of these laws argue that pain cannot always be managed, there is no reason a person should be forced to suffer through the processes of death, and physicians are abiding by the Hippocratic Oath of “do no harm,” by not allowing their patient to have prolonged suffering. As controversial as these laws are, they are necessary. Laws regarding physician-assisted death should be passed in all states, because it allows terminally ill patients to have a peace of mind, choose how much suffering they will endure, and have an opportunity to die with dignity without losing their mental or

Dr. Phillip Herbert, a physician who has prescribed these lethal medications stated, “When their suffering becomes intolerable, I help them exit this world peacefully.” People who are against physician-assisted death argue that these patients should be placed on hospice and receive palliative care. Most of these patients are already receiving hospice services, medications, and other interventions to cope with their conditions. In Oregon, from 2008 to 2009, 95.1 percent of patients that ended their lives utilizing the Death with Dignity Act were enrolled in hospice care (Campbell). However, often even high doses of pain medications do not relieve the discomfort these people experience. Tragically, some of these patients choose other drastic means to end their lives, due to the fact they cannot cope with the suffering any longer. Brittany Maynard wrote about the brain cancer affecting her mind but the rest of her body was very healthy. She feared she would have suffered, physically and emotionally, for an extended period due to this fact. The amount of suffering one must endure, should be determined by the patient, not the government, healthcare professionals, or family members. If the patient meets the mandatory requirements, the option to end their life, with these medications, should be available to