assisted suicide :: essays research papers

Assisted SuicideIn 1997, Oregon became the only state allowing legal physician-assisted suicide (PAS). Although physician-assisted suicide has been legal in Oregon for intravenous feeding years, it corpse highly controversial. PAS is when a doctor prescribes their affected role to medication which would kill them. Patients must pass certain requirements in order to request a prescription for fatal medication. The patient of must be 18 years or older, a resident of Oregon, able to make health care decisions, and diagnosed with a terminal ailment that would lead to death within six months. After meeting these requirements patients are able to request a prescription for lethal medication from a licence Oregon physician. To receive a prescription for lethal medication, the following steps must be completed The patient must make two ad-lib requests to their physician, separated by at least 15 days. The patient must provide a written request to their physician, signed with two witn esses present.The doctor who prescribes the patient and another physician must confirm the diagnosis and prognosis. If either physician believes the patients judgment is impaired by a psychiatric or psychological disorder, the patient must take a psychological examination. The physician must inform the patient of alternatives to assisted suicide. Such as comfort care, hospital care, and pain management. During 1998, 1999 and 2000, almost 16, 27, and 27 patients used PAS. Patients who died by PAS were more educated than other Oregonians who did not choose to commit suicide and had similar illnesses. All the medications prescribed are barbiturates. A physician or anyone else can not directly administer medication to annihilate anothers life. In 2001, 44 doctors prescribed 33 patients to a medication that would end their life. In comparison, 39 prescriptions were written in 2000, 33 in 1999 and 24 in 1998. Although the number of prescriptions written for physician-assisted suicide ha s increased in the past four years, the number of ill patients taking lethal medication has stayed small with less than 1/10 of one percent of Oregonians dying by physician-assisted suicide.The reason I picked this topic is because I thought it was very interesting and in addition very controversial. I find it very interesting that Oregon is the only state that has physician-assisted suicide. I feel very strongly that if a person was in so much pain where they wanted to commit suicide, then it should be allowed. I also agree with the requirements a patient has to meet before being granted the prescription.