Question

What is the most famous physician aid in dying case in society (past or present)? Elaborate on your choice.

Answer 1

Ans) Currently in Oregon, secobarbital is the medication most commonly prescribed for physician-assisted suicide, followed by pentobarbital. The lethal dose prescribed is typically 9 g of secobarbital in capsules or 10 g of pentobarbital liquid, to be consumed at one time.

- Physician aid-in-dying (PAD) refers to a practice in which a physician provides a competent, terminally ill patient with a prescription for a lethal dose of medication, upon the patient's request, which the patient intends to use to end his or her own life.

- An entitlement to a “good death” has been given importance in most cultures and principles of a good death have been defined. However where a person perceives physician assisted death to be a component of their good death this must be balanced against wider implications for society as a whole.

- Holistic palliative care addresses bio‐psycho‐social and spiritual issues at the end of life. However, some would argue that relief of all suffering at the end of life is not always possible thereby defining a role for physician assisted death.

- Physician assisted death is controversial on the balance of a variety of arguments: legal, medical, ethical, and religious. Both proponents and opposers of assisted death are able to use fundamental bioethical principles to support their argument.

- The medical profession and wider society as a whole remains divided as to whether physician assisted death should be legalised in the United Kingdom.

- Legislation is currently under proposal in the UK to legalise physician assisted dying.

- The debate regarding physician assisted death is complex involving many legal, ethical, medical, sociocultural, personal, and religious issues.

- Both proponents and opposers of assisted death are able to use fundamental bioethical principles to support their argument: autonomy, beneficence, non‐maleficence, and justice

- The medical profession and wider society as a whole remains divided as to whether physician assisted death should be legalised in the UK.