On New Year’s Day, Hawaii became the seventh state or jurisdiction to allow terminally ill patients to take their own lives with prescription drugs.
Under the controversial Our Care, Our Choice Act, adult residents with less than six months to live can get a prescription for life-ending medication.
Hawaii became the seventh state to permit terminally ill people to be assisted in taking their own lives.
The new medically assisted suicide law went into effect on January 1, 2019. However many doctors are willing to give out life-ending medications and pharmacies are not willing to dispense them.
Under the ‘Our Care, Our Choice Act,’ adults who have been diagnosed with less than six months to live can obtain suicide mediations.
Scott Foster who is with the Hawaii Death with Dignity society stated that It is horrible to be in such fear of going through a painful, horrible or sedated death. Having medications and knowing that it is there if needed causes such relief.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that at the Honolulu’s the Queen’s Medical Center and the Hawaii Pacific Health stated that their pharmacies will not dispense suicide medications and if the patient has been hospitalized a patient will not be able to take suicide medications within the health care facility.
The new law states that doctors are permitted to write prescriptions for terminally ill individuals that will permit them to commit suicide.
There are restrictions on the law. Two health care professions must the patient’s prognosis, diagnosis, the mental state of mind, ability to make decisions by themselves and that they are doing this on their own free will.
Three requests must be made by the patient for medication. Two requests must be 20 days or more apart and the patient must put their request in writing which must be signed by two witnesses.
Most health care facilities have taken a neutral stance on the new law and have decided to leave the decision to commit suicide to the patient’s doctor.
Hawaii Pacific Health which is one of Hawaii’s largest provider of health care. Their chief quality officer, Melinda Ashton, has stated that many health care providers and nurses are uncomfortable to help a patient commit suicide. Another issue is that no pharmacy is willing to fill the prescriptions for suicide medications if a doctor prescribes it.
On major pharmacy chain, CVS pharmacy stated that pharmacists will follow an outlined process for filling suicide prescription. Pharmacists will have the choice not to fill them.
Dr. Daniel Fischber, Queen’s Medical Center Pain and Palliative Care Department’s medical director stated that physicians may have difficulty accepting the law. There are very different opinions regarding this subject. There are very few physicians who are emotionally prepared enough to fill the suicide medications if asked.
It is predicted by the Department of health that 40 to 70 individuals will seek medical help to commit suicide this year. A training was offered to medical personnel to help them learn how to handle requests for suicide medications.
Written By Barbara Sobel
Sources:
WBNS: Hawaii law allowing medically assisted suicide takes effect
WTHRL: Terminally ill patients can now take their own lives with prescription drugs in Hawaii
AJC: Assisted suicide now legal in Hawaii for patients with terminal illness
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Steve Smith’s Flickr – Creative Commons License
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