Physician Assisted Suicide

1259 Words3 Pages

As recently the New Mexico judge allowed the physician to aid the dying of the patients that has the terminally illness, the state of New Mexico will potentially become the 5th state in the United States after Oregon, Washington, Montana and Vermont. This issue soon become the most eye-catching issues recently and brought up the debate of such issue along with the medical ethics, religions and human rights that was already goes along for decades, and this article will contain the argument that why should the physician-assisted suicide along with its’ legitimate and voluntarily practice should be justified from the perspective of the autonomy of the patients and it’s incununous to the society under current circumstances. Definition of physician-assisted suicide It’s hard to recognize the outcome and have an objective view about certain issue without knowing what is its’ actual definition. The definition of physician-assisted suicide is “when a person - typically someone suffering from an incurable illness or chronic intense pain - intentionally kills him/herself with the help of a doctor. A doctor may prescribe drugs on the understanding that the patient intends to use them to take a fatal overdose; or a doctor may insert an intravenous needle into the arm of a patient, who then pushes a switch to trigger a fatal injection”( ETHICAL DEBATE: On the horns of a dilemma.）. People usually are unable to distinguish the physician-assisted suicide from the euthanasia. In fact, “assisted suicide differs from euthanasia, which is when someone other than the patient ends the patient's life as painlessly as possible out of mercy. Euthanasia may be active, such as when a doctor gives a lethal injection to a patient. It can also be passive, ... ... middle of paper ... ...of Family Caregivers Support the Legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide." Mental Health Weekly Digest. 17 Jun. 2013: 75. eLibrary. Web. 03 Feb. 2014. "ETHICAL DEBATE: On the horns of a dilemma." Chemist & Druggist. 03 Dec. 2005: 30. eLibrary. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. Horgan, John., Johnson, Johnny.. "Trends in Healthcare: Seeking a Better Way to Die." Scientific American 276. (1997):100-105. eLibrary. Web. 28 Jan. 2014. McCormick, J, Andrew.. "Self-Determination, the Right to Die, and Culture: A Literature Review." Social Work 2(2011):119. eLibrary. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. Steinbrook, Robert. "Physician-assisted suicide in Oregon--an uncertain future." New England Journal of Medicine 6(2002):460. eLibrary. Web. 17 Jan. 2014. "Suicide; No Evidence Physician Assisted Death Leads to "Slippery Slope"." Mental Health Weekly Digest. 08 Oct. 2007: 41. eLibrary. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.

Physician Assisted Suicide Case study
929 Words | 2 Pages
Diane: A Case of Physician Assisted Suicide. Diane was a patient of Dr. Timothy Quill, who was diagnosed with acute myelomonocytic leukemia. Diane overcame alcoholism and had vaginal cancer in her youth. She had been under his care for a period of 8 years, during which an intimate doctor-patient bond had been established.
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Ethical Issues With Physician Assisted Suicide
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Euthanasia is divided into two separate classifications consisting of passive euthanasia and active euthanasia. Traditionally, “euthanasia is passive when a physician allows her patient to die, by withholding or withdrawing vital treatment from him…euthanasia is active when a patient's death results from his physician's killing the patient, typically by administering lethal medication” (Varelius, 2016). While active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide share many of the same characteristics, they differ in the role for committing the final act, resulting in the death of the patient. A third party, consisting of either a family member or the physician, is responsible for “pulling-the-plug” in active euthanasia. On the other hand, in physician-assisted suicide, it is ultimately up to the patient to commit the final death-inducing act. Varelius suggests that the separation of passive and active euthanasia can be explained by the involvement that the physician partakes in their patients’ death
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Ethical Issues Of Euthanasia
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Any discussion that pertains to the topic of euthanasia must first include a clear definition of the key terms and issues. With this in mind, it should be noted that euthanasia includes both what has been called physician-assisted "suicide" and voluntary active euthanasia. Physician-assisted suicide involves providing lethal medication(s) available to the patient to be used at a time of the patient’s own choosing (Boudreau, p.2, 2014). Indifferently, voluntary active euthanasia involves the physician taking an active role in carrying out the patient’s request, and usually involves intravenous delivery of a lethal substance. Physician-assisted suicide is felt to be easier psychologically for the physician and patient than euthanasia because
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The Pros And Cons Of Physician Assisted Suicide
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“On October 27, 1997 Oregon enacted the Death with Dignity Act which allows terminally-ill Oregonians to end their lives through the voluntary self-administration of lethal medications, expressly prescribed by a physician for that purpose.” (The Oregon Health Authority, 2010). Physician assisted suicide can be constructed to have reasonable laws which still protect against its abuse and the value of human life. Recent Oregon and U.K. laws show that you can craft reasonable laws that prevent abuse and still protect the value of human life. When one thinks of suicide, we think of a person who takes their own life.
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Physician Assisted Suicide: An Ethical Dilemma
1581 Words | 4 Pages
Velasquez, Manuel, Andre, Claire “Assisted Suicide A Right or Wrong.” Santa Clara university n.d. web 24 March 2012
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Physician Assisted Suicide
515 Words | 2 Pages
gotten to the point where they feel as if there is no point in living.
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Physician Assisted Suicide ( Pas )
859 Words | 2 Pages
Imagine, if you will, that you have just found out you have a terminal medical condition. Doesn’t matter which one, it’s terminal. Over the 6 months you have to live you experience unmeasurable amounts of pain, and when your free of your pain the medication you’re under renders you in an impaired sense of consciousness. Towards the 4th month, you begin to believe all this suffering is pointless, you are to die anyways, why not with a little dignity. You begin to consider Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS). In this essay I will explain the ethical decisions and dilemmas one may face when deciding to accept the idea of Physician-Assisted Suicide. I will also provide factual information pertaining to the subject of PAS and testimony from some that advocate for legalization of PAS. PAS is not to be taken lightly. It is the decision to end one’s life with the aid of a medical physician. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary states that PAS is “Suicide by a patient facilitated by means (as a drug prescription) or by information (as an indication of a lethal dosage) provided by a physician aware of the patient’s intent.” PAS is considered, by our textbook – Doing Ethics by Lewis Vaughn, an active voluntary form of euthanasia. There are other forms of euthanasia such as non-voluntary, involuntary, and passive. This essay is focusing on PAS, an active voluntary form of euthanasia. PAS is commonly known as “Dying/Death with Dignity.” The most recent publicized case of PAS is the case of Brittany Maynard. She was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in California, where she lived. At the time California didn’t have Legislative right to allow Brittany the right to commit PAS so she was transported to Oregon where PAS is legal....
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Physician Assisted Suicide
986 Words | 2 Pages
In conclusion, all should firmly believe that physician assisted suicide should not be legalized in any state. Although it is legalized in Oregon it is not wise for any other state to follow that example. By now, all should strongly believe the growing public support for PAS still remains a very dangerous trend. The role of our physician is that of a healer, not a killer. It must be understood that in some cases the only way to relieve someone from their pain is to let them go. On the contrary, each human life has an
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Legalizing Physician Assisted Suicide
1128 Words | 3 Pages
Harned, Mary. “The Dangers of Assisted Suicide.” Defending Life. Americans United for Life, 3 April 2012. Web. 20 March 2014.
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Patient Assisted Suicide
1881 Words | 4 Pages
One of the greatest dangers facing chronic and terminally ill patients is the grey area regarding PAS. In the Netherlands, there are strict criteria for the practice of PAS. Despite such stringencies, the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (1992) found 28% of the PAS cases in the Netherlands did not meet the criteria. The evidence suggests some of the patient’s lives may have ended prematurely or involuntarily. This problem can be addressed via advance directives. These directives would be written by competent individuals explaining their decision to be aided in dying when they are no longer capable of making medical decisions. These interpretations are largely defined by ones morals, understanding of ethics, individual attitudes, religious and cultural values.
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Euthanasia and Terminally Ill Patients
1656 Words | 4 Pages
Markoff, Steven. “State by-State Guide to Physician Assisted Suicide” ProCon.org. 13 December 2013, 30 March 2014.
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Physician Assisted Suicide Summary
519 Words | 2 Pages
Individuals often debate whether physician-assisted suicide is morally right or wrong. According to the text, Oregon has a law that was passed in 1998 that legalized physician-assisted suicide (Timmons, 2017). This law allows competent individuals who have only six months or less left to live and that resides in Oregon to request a prescription from a physician that will end one’s life (Timmons, 2017). Michael Gill discusses objections to autonomy-based justifications of physician-assisted suicide. Individuals that are against autonomy-based justifications of physician-assisted suicide believe that the autonomy-based justifications of the law are irrational and absurd. One of the objections to autonomy-based justifications of physician-assisted suicide is that the autonomy-based justification implies that non-terminally ill individuals should also be given the option to commit suicide. The individuals that oppose this law thinks that giving everyone, including individuals that are not terminally ill, the option of physician-assisted suicide is irrational.
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Human Beings Have a Right to Die
3634 Words | 8 Pages
"Assisted Suicide: Finding Common Ground." Lois Snyder, JD; and Authur L. Caplan, PhD. Annals of Internal Medicine. March 21, 2000. v.132, n.6
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The Right to Physician Assisted Suicide
1874 Words | 4 Pages
Cotton, Paul. "Medicine's Position Is Both Pivotal And Precarious In Assisted Suicide Debate." The Journal of the American Association 1 Feb. 1995: 363-64.
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Medical Ethics
776 Words | 2 Pages
Physician-assisted suicide refers to the physician acting indirectly in the death of the patient -- providing the means for death. The ethics of PAS is a continually debated topic. The range of arguments in support and opposition of PAS are vast. Justice, compassion, the moral irrelevance of the difference between killing and letting die, individual liberty are many arguments for PAS. The distinction between killing and letting die, sanctity of life, "do no harm" principle of medicine, and the potential for abuse are some of the arguments in favor of making PAS illegal. However, self-determination, and ultimately respect for autonomy are relied on heavily as principle arguments in the PAS issue.
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Physician Assisted Suicide