Legal Definitions - physician-assisted suicide

Physician-assisted suicide refers to a medical procedure in which a licensed healthcare professional directly administers medication to a patient, at the patient's voluntary and informed request, with the explicit intent of ending the patient's life. This practice is typically considered for individuals suffering from a painful, incurable, and terminal illness who wish to choose the timing and manner of their death. It is a form of active voluntary euthanasia, where the medical professional's action directly causes the patient's death.

This is distinct from assisted suicide, where a physician provides the means (such as a prescription for medication) but the patient self-administers the substance to end their own life. The legality of physician-assisted suicide varies significantly across different countries and, in some nations, even within different states or provinces, often requiring strict conditions such as multiple medical evaluations, psychological assessments, and a clear, consistent expression of the patient's will.

Here are some examples illustrating physician-assisted suicide:

• Example 1: Advanced Cancer Patient

  An elderly woman, diagnosed with an aggressive and untreatable form of pancreatic cancer, has endured months of debilitating pain and rapid physical decline. Despite receiving comprehensive palliative care, her suffering is profound and constant. After multiple consultations with her oncologist, family, and a psychiatrist, and meeting all the legal requirements in her jurisdiction, she makes a clear and repeated request for physician-assisted suicide. A licensed physician then administers a prescribed medication intravenously, leading to her peaceful passing.

  This example illustrates physician-assisted suicide because the patient has a terminal illness causing intractable suffering, makes a voluntary and informed request, and a medical professional directly administers the life-ending medication.

• Example 2: Progressive Neurological Disease

  A middle-aged man living in a country where physician-assisted suicide is legal is diagnosed with a rapidly progressing form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). As his condition worsens, he loses the ability to speak, swallow, and move independently, facing a future of complete paralysis and dependence on a ventilator. After careful consideration, and having undergone all necessary medical and psychological evaluations to confirm his capacity and voluntariness, he chooses physician-assisted suicide. His treating physician, following established legal protocols, administers the medication that brings about his death.

  This scenario demonstrates physician-assisted suicide as it involves a patient with a terminal and debilitating illness, a voluntary decision, and the direct administration of life-ending medication by a physician in a legally permissible context.