MA Physician-Assisted Suicide Bill

I've been starting to see some commercials about a new bill being proposed in Massachusetts for physician-assisted suicide. It is VERY controversial. Apparently, the patient would have to have two physicians as well as a mental health professional confirm that the he or she is terminal and has 6 months or less to live. According to the commercials against, this bill is actually not "physician-assisted" because a patient would simply be written a prescription for a drug (not sure what drug). Opinions and comments?

Physician-Assisted Suicide on the Massachusetts Ballot | BU Today | Boston University

http://www.mass.gov/ago/docs/government/2011-petitions/11-12.pdf

Edit: I want to add that I'm not sure how I will vote on this bill. IMO, if there is to be physician-assisted suicide it should be done in a hospital with doctors and nurses around in case there are any kind of complications.

Another controversial aspect of this bill is that the patient's family would NOT be notified first.

Each baby step we take closer to true doctor assisted suicide is a good thing. I am fine with having more than one doctor sign off on it but the 6 months left to live thing is crap. So if you have 3-5 years of horrible pain ahead of you then you just have to tough it out? There shouldn't be a time frame on it. If you have incurable pain or are unable to take care of yourself, then you should be able to opt out of life with the assistance of medical professionals, if you so choose.

That is a no brainer to me. For me the tougher question is what about dementia related illnesses? My biggest fear is that I will one day be diagnosed with Alzheimer's. It runs in my family. I have made a promise to myself that I will not allow my family to be burdened with me if that happens. But at what point do you off yourself? Early on in the disease you can still have a normal life. By the time it progresses to the point where it isn't worth living, you may not be lucid enough to take action. Upon being diagnosed, i would like to have the option of leaving instructions for the doctors that once I hit certain trip wires, such as being unable to recognize my children or unable to clean myself, that I be euthanized. But I don't see laws to that extreme being passed in my lifetime. At the least the doctors should be able to give me the prescription upon being diagnosed so I have the option for as long as I am lucid.

I'm not thrilled about any kind of suicide, but right now, the family pet has more legal end of life options. I'm for giving the dying all of the pain drugs that they want. if someone wants a physician's help to end it, who am I to tell them they can't, even if I don't plan on doing that myself?

Sarcogito said:

Each baby step we take closer to true doctor assisted suicide is a good thing. I am fine with having more than one doctor sign off on it but the 6 months left to live thing is crap. So if you have 3-5 years of horrible pain ahead of you then you just have to tough it out? There shouldn't be a time frame on it. If you have incurable pain or are unable to take care of yourself, then you should be able to opt out of life with the assistance of medical professionals, if you so choose.

That is a no brainer to me. For me the tougher question is what about dementia related illnesses? My biggest fear is that I will one day be diagnosed with Alzheimer's. It runs in my family. I have made a promise to myself that I will not allow my family to be burdened with me if that happens. But at what point do you off yourself? Early on in the disease you can still have a normal life. By the time it progresses to the point where it isn't worth living, you may not be lucid enough to take action. Upon being diagnosed, i would like to have the option of leaving instructions for the doctors that once I hit certain trip wires, such as being unable to recognize my children or unable to clean myself, that I be euthanized. But I don't see laws to that extreme being passed in my lifetime. At the least the doctors should be able to give me the prescription upon being diagnosed so I have the option for as long as I am lucid.

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I agree that physician-assisted suicide should be a legal option for those who are suffering from terminal diseases and want to go out with a little dignity. My only problem with this bill is that it seems a little sketchy. Also, the fact that the family is NOT notified. So what do they do? Just call the family after the death and inform them, "oh, by the way, so and so died of physician-assisted suicide today." Not sure how I feel about that. I'm sure MOST patients would inform their families though, so that is not my biggest issue.

The biggest issue I have is that after reading the bill, it seems that they simply write a prescription and that there is no stipulation to be in the hospital or with a physician in case something goes wrong.

ChrisL said:

The biggest issue I have is that after reading the bill, it seems that they simply write a prescription and that there is no stipulation to be in the hospital or with a physician in case something goes wrong.

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Yeah, at the very least medical personnel should be allowed to be present. Given a choice I wouldn't want to do it in a hospital, though. I would want to go somewhere peaceful.

Sarcogito said:

Yeah, at the very least medical personnel should be allowed to be present. Given a choice I wouldn't want to do it in a hospital, though. I would want to go somewhere peaceful.

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I had no problem with Jack Kevorkian. He was there to supervise the patients in the privacy and comfort of their own homes or anywhere they felt comfortable.

What do you think about not notifying the family. I mean, I know about patient-doctor confidentiality (I'm a medical transcriptionist and have had to sign HIPAA forms myself, but this situation is a bit different. I'm sure MOST patients would inform their families, but for the ones who don't, that might come as a terrible shock to their families.

Something else about the bill that concerns me is that because they just "write a prescription" a patient could take these drugs anywhere, anytime. What if they don't let their family or anyone else know, and they go home, take the meds and die. What about the body and technicalities like that. How long would the dead body lie there before somebody discovers it.

I think this bill needs to take some more things into consideration. This is what bothers me about a LOT of bills. They have a good basic premise, but they just don't go far enough to cover every possibility. IMO, this bill seems a little incomplete and a little irresponsible, and not at all like "physician-assisted" suicide. I don't consider simply writing a prescription to be physician-assisted.

I am hopeful that more people will comment on this, so that maybe they can bring up things I haven't thought about, because this is an issue that will be voted on by MA residents on November 6. I would really appreciate input from the intelligent posters at DP!

People should be allowed to die however they want to, so long as their method of death does not cause physical harm or death to others (i.e. no suicide bombings, cult poisonings, etc). Allowing physicians to help somebody reach their ultimate end is just insurance against a messy, costly, and failed attempt on behalf of the patient seeking death.

tessaesque said:

People should be allowed to die however they want to do, so long as their method of death does not cause physical harm or death to others (i.e. no suicide bombings, cult poisonings, etc). Allowing physicians to help somebody reach their ultimate end is just insurance against a messy, costly, and failed attempt on behalf of the patient seeking death.

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I'm totally for it too. I just want to make sure it's done right, and I'm not so sure about this particular bill, where a patient gets a prescription and can just take it whenever. I think that there should be a physician present at least. You never know what kind of complications can occur. There have been cases where lethal injections for death row inmates have even failed.

I think it would be better to have a physician present, and why they wouldn't make that a stipulation in this particular bill I don't know.

So, completely ignoring the bill proposed and just giving my thoughts on the matter.

In Europe, Switzerland is the country known for allowing assisted suicides. I personally find them to be humane ways of dealing with people who are and should be allowed in such cases:

a) so old and in such a bad shape that not only that they can't take care of themselves, they need extensive supervision and help just to get by.

b) people who are in a lot of pain ( terminal cancer victims for example)

c) people who are in a bad shape and can't recover. Here I include people who have parkinsons' or alzheimmers. I am however in favor of finding a treatment... a cure for people who suffer from such conditions but there is none in sight.

The decision should rest with the family, not the state. If a persons mental faculties are compromised, the decision lies with the next of kin. If he has no next of kin or family of any first degree, there is no other entity that can take this decision. Not the doctors, not the state, not anyone.

Rainman05 said:

So, completely ignoring the bill proposed and just giving my thoughts on the matter.

In Europe, Switzerland is the country known for allowing assisted suicides. I personally find them to be humane ways of dealing with people who are and should be allowed in such cases:

a) so old and in such a bad shape that not only that they can't take care of themselves, they need extensive supervision and help just to get by.

b) people who are in a lot of pain ( terminal cancer victims for example)

c) people who are in a bad shape and can't recover. Here I include people who have parkinsons' or alzheimmers. I am however in favor of finding a treatment... a cure for people who suffer from such conditions but there is none in sight.

The decision should rest with the family, not the state. If a persons mental faculties are compromised, the decision lies with the next of kin. If he has no next of kin or family of any first degree, there is no other entity that can take this decision. Not the doctors, not the state, not anyone.

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This is interesting because in the bill it specifically states that the family will NOT be notified. I don't know what they would do in the case of someone with a questionable mental status.

I read the bill last night, but I don't remember anything specific about mental health disorders. I will have to reread it and see. I know that, under this bill, anyone seeking assisted suicide has to have their mental status confirmed before they are allowed to go through with it.

ChrisL said:

I had no problem with Jack Kevorkian. He was there to supervise the patients in the privacy and comfort of their own homes or anywhere they felt comfortable.

What do you think about not notifying the family. I mean, I know about patient-doctor confidentiality (I'm a medical transcriptionist and have had to sign HIPAA forms myself, but this situation is a bit different. I'm sure MOST patients would inform their families, but for the ones who don't, that might come as a terrible shock to their families.

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I am sure it would come as a shock but assuming the patient is an adult and still of sound mind, it should be completely up to the patient whether or not to tell them. Every family dynamic is different.

Here is a copy of the actual forms that the patient would have to fill out and sign.

Section 21. Form of the request.
A request for a medication as authorized by this chapter shall be in substantially the following form:
REQUEST FOR MEDICATION TO END MY LIFE IN A
HUMANE AND DIGNIFIED MANNER
I,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , am an adult of sound mind and a resident of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
I am suffering from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , which my attending physician has determined is a terminal disease and
which has been medically confirmed by a consulting physician.
I have been fully informed of my diagnosis, prognosis, the nature of medication to be prescribed and potential
associated risks, the expected result, and the feasible alternatives, including comfort care, hospice care, and pain
control.
I request that my attending physician prescribe medication that I may self-administer to end my life in a humane
and dignified manner and to contact any pharmacist to fill the prescription.
INITIAL ONE:
. . . . . I have informed my family of my decision and taken their opinions into consideration.
. . . . . I have decided not to inform my family of my decision.
. . . . . I have no family to inform of my decision.
I understand that I have the right to rescind this request at any time.
I understand the full import of this request and I expect to die if and when I take the medication to be prescribed.
I further understand that although most deaths occur within three hours, my death may take longer and my physician
has counseled me about this possibility.
I make this request voluntarily and without reservation, and I accept full moral responsibility for my actions.
Signed:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dated:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DECLARATION OF WITNESSES
By initialing and signing below on or after the date the person named above signs, we declare that the person
making and signing the above request:Witness 1
Initials
Witness 2
Initials

Part Two

Witness 1
Initials
Witness 2
Initials
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1. Is personally known to us or has provided proof of identity;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. Signed this request in our presence on the date of the person's
signature;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. Appears to be of sound mind and not under duress, fraud, or undue
influence; and
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4. Is not a patient for whom either of us is the attending physician.
Printed Name of Witness 1: . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Signature of Witness 1/Date: . . . . . . . . . . . .
Printed Name of Witness 2: . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Signature of Witness 2/Date: . . . . . . . . . . . .
NOTE: At least one witness shall not be a relative by blood, marriage, or adoption of the person signing this
request, shall not be entitled to any portion of the person's estate upon death, and shall not own, operate, or be
employed at a health care facility where the person is a patient or resident. If the patient is an inpatient at a health
care facility, one of the witnesses shall be an individual designated by the facility

ChrisL said:

This is interesting because in the bill it specifically states that the family will NOT be notified. I don't know what they would do in the case of someone with a questionable mental status.

I read the bill last night, but I don't remember anything specific about mental health disorders. I will have to reread it and see. I know that, under this bill, anyone seeking assisted suicide has to have their mental status confirmed before they are allowed to go through with it.

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Yes well, I didn't read the bill. It doesn't really concern me personally. I just gave my thoughts on the matter.

Though from what was presented, I would have to say I am against the bill in its current form.

Sarcogito said:

I am sure it would come as a shock but assuming the patient is an adult and still of sound mind, it should be completely up to the patient whether or not to tell them. Every family dynamic is different.

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I would agree with that if there was the stipulation that a physician had to be present, but there is no such stipulation. What happens to the body if the patient doesn't let anybody know? I see that as bit irresponsible.

Rainman05 said:

Yes well, I didn't read the bill. It doesn't really concern me personally. I just gave my thoughts on the matter.

Though from what was presented, I would have to say I am against the bill in its current form.

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Me too. This is what I find annoying. It is a good premise but a crappy bill. If they want a bill to pass, I think it should be more comprehensive and considerate of any and all possibilities.

I'm bumping this because I'd really like to hear more opinions.

Pinkie said:

Euthanasia is legal in one US state, Oregon (I think) as well as Australia and other nations, so we have real life experience to look at to avoid abuses, such as greedy relatives pressuring a sick elderly person to agree to die.

Allowing doctors to script, and pharmacists to dispense, euthanasia drugs is no doubt adequate and safe under this proposed bill. IMO, these laws do not go far enough, as a person who is physically unable to drink, e.g., a coma patient, cannot be terminated by a direct act of a doctor. OTOH, this will address the needs of 90% of all terminally ill patients and there are very few MDs who would consent to terminate a patient's life by direct act, anyway, so asking for more might just be whistling in the dark.

I'm getting on in years; you young people need to pass these laws so I don't have to suffer the indignities and abuse of a state-funded nursing home when I become too feeble to live alone.

Hurry the hell up, would ya?

LOL.

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In Europe, there is: Assisted Suicide tourism.

Basically, people who fall into the correct categories go to Switzerland and die there, after which their bodies are repatriated.

It is not against any religion too as far as I am aware. Catholics can die from assisted suicide and not be condemned to Hell... since technically, someone else is killing you.

I find assisted suicide a more dignified way to go. I've lost people I cared about to cancer and I couldn't help but think of how much more better they would have been if they had not endured those final, horrible weeks of something that can barely be called life.

the original post is how I would prefer it be done, but I would also like to see it be "controlled" in that the patient perform the act in a hospital or clinic which can react if something went wrong.

wolfman24 said:

the original post is how I would prefer it be done, but I would also like to see it be "controlled" in that the patient perform the act in a hospital or clinic which can react if something went wrong.

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Doubtless that can be arranged.

Personally, I want to die in my own bed, with my loved ones nearby.

Pinkie said:

Euthanasia is legal in one US state, Oregon (I think) as well as Australia and other nations, so we have real life experience to look at to avoid abuses, such as greedy relatives pressuring a sick elderly person to agree to die.

Allowing doctors to script, and pharmacists to dispense, euthanasia drugs is no doubt adequate and safe under this proposed bill. IMO, these laws do not go far enough, as a person who is physically unable to drink, e.g., a coma patient, cannot be terminated by a direct act of a doctor. OTOH, this will address the needs of 90% of all terminally ill patients and there are very few MDs who would consent to terminate a patient's life by direct act, anyway, so asking for more might just be whistling in the dark.

I'm getting on in years; you young people need to pass these laws so I don't have to suffer the indignities and abuse of a state-funded nursing home when I become too feeble to live alone.

Hurry the hell up, would ya?

LOL.

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Thanks for your input Pinkie, but I'm highly skeptical that this law will pass the way it stands now. I think most people agree that a person with a terminal illness should be able to end his or her life, but not without some kind of medical professional there to witness it and to make sure no complications occur.

I just can't see why it is any more "moral" for a physician to write a prescription for a deadly med and then just letting someone walk out and do whatever than to be by that patient's side while they pass. There are a LOT of elderly patients who have no families and some have no friends either.

It wouldn't necessarily have to take place in a hospital. What about a hospice clinic or something similar? It doesn't even have to be a physician (perhaps a PA or an MA, an RN, an LPN, a visiting nurse, etc., etc.) to be there as a witness, but I just don't feel good about writing a prescription for a deadly med.

Pinkie said:

Doubtless that can be arranged.

Personally, I want to die in my own bed, with my loved ones nearby.

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I can totally understand that sentiment. Perhaps having a visiting nurse sent home with people who wish to go out like this would be a good idea.

I'm surprised more people haven't shown an interest in this topic. I'm quite sure that eventually all the states are going to have to vote on this issue.