Examination of Physician Assisted Suicide

Euthanasia means "good death." People see euthanasia as a "mercy killing" as defined in chapter 5. Euthanasia is supposed to mean the act is done out of concern or compassion for a dying person who is suffering. However, when euthanasia is coerced on someone or is made the only option, then euthanasia no longer signifies "good death." In reality, it signifies death, not only that, but possibly, forced death. Maggie Little talks about how medicine sometimes gets in the way of a "good death." Euthanasia or acts like it can very well take away the 'good' of a "good death." "

I personally do not believe physicians should be given the option to hasten death even if a person is terminal. There are several reasons, but the most important is, it may have a detrimental effect for those that are poor and cannot afford care. If physicians are allowed to assist in suicide or euthanize their patients, they may end up seeing euthanizing not as a compassionate means of ending a life, but a practical one to save on expenses.

The Oregon Ballot Measure 16 is an act that established Oregon as the first U.S. state to allow physician-assisted suicide with certain restrictions. The first time in the world to happen, this measure was approved November 8, 1994 with 627,980 votes. At the end of 2015, a reported 991 patients have died from prescriptions written by physicians to assist in their suicide. While the media age was 71, there were some cases of younger individuals. This brings into consideration what is euthanasia, palliative care, and physician assisted-suicide.

a.

Active euthanasia is one form of euthanasia where it involves someone (in this case a physician) committing an act that is intended to end a patient's life. This may happen through lethal injection or even smothering someone with a pillow.

b.

Passive euthanasia means when someone ends the life of a patient by omitting an act that extends the patient's life. Examples of passive euthanasia is removing food from patients, withdrawing treatment for an illness and so forth.

c.

Physician-assisted suicide is often times confused with euthanasia. Euthanasia means a physician omits and performs actions that end a patient's life. Physician-assisted suicide is when a doctor offers the patient the means with which to end his or her life without being directly involved. This means a doctor can write a prescription for lethal doses of a medication and or offer information on techniques for ending the patient's life.

d.

Palliative care or end of life care, is a strategy meant to improve a patient's quality of life as well as their families as they face a life-threatening illness through relief and prevention of suffering by impeccable assessment, early identification and treatment of pain, and other problems.

e.

Involuntary euthanasia happens when a patient cannot make the decision to end his or her life and the decision must be made for him or herself due to being in a coma or being underage.

In regards to the law passed, a competent adult Oregon resident must voluntarily choose to ask a physician under certain conditions (terminally ill and dying in within six months) to ask for a prescription of a medication that will end that patient's life. Physicians can refuse to write the prescription, as well as pharmacists. There must be two witnesses and there is another phase for permission and procedure. This falls into palliative care because it is end of life care and is meant to ease the suffering of the patient. It is voluntary euthanasia because the patient has to make the decision for him or herself. Lastly, it is physician-assisted suicide because the doctor writes the prescription and the patient takes the medication. This does not fall under active or passive euthanasia as the patient is performing the action.

2.

a.

True because although the physician does not commit euthanasia, the doctor actively writes a prescription that the patient must take in order to die. Without the prescription, the patient cannot commit suicide.

b.

False. The only way the physician can assist in suicide is through prescription.

3.

The physician must see if the person is competent and of sound mind and body. It has to be confirmed by two witnesses. One witness must not have any relation to the patient and not entitled to the patient's estate. Patient must not be mentally ill and must be dying within 6 months. A psychological evaluation may be performed if patient seems depressed or coerced.