Literature Review
DEFINING PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE
Before going too far into physician-assisted suicide some terms need to be operationally defined. To begin with, physician-assisted suicide is the hastening of an individual’s death upon request by the individuals themselves, by means of medication prescribed by a physician and administered by the individual. There are specific regulations and criteria that the individual must meet before their request can be deemed acceptable and medication prescribed (Johnson et al. 2014)(Lee 1997). Along similar lines is euthanasia. However, euthanasia is defined as the physician being the one to administer medication with the intent of the individual or patient dying instead of the patient being the …show more content…
This vote barely passed with a fifty-one percent approval and a forty-nine percent disapproval (Lee 1997). It was originally proposed because the dying process in Oregon was seen as to impersonal and it was believed that the hospice care needed to be improved (Werth and Wineberg 2005). However, it was not until 1997 when the act could be enacted due to a legal challenge that arose shortly after the act was voted on (Coombs 2014). Then there was a revote to try and get the act repealed. This revote ended in a bigger margin for in favor of the act than it had in the original voting so the act was officially established (Werth and Wineberg 2005). Another legal issue that was brought up against Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act was the court case of Gonzales v. Oregon (2006). With this case the federal government was arguing that they were to be involved with the control of drugs specifying the drug prescribed to patients seeking physician-assisted suicide. The state of Oregon argued that the federal government was to only be in control of illegal drugs. As there was a specific procedure and way of administering the medication for physician-assisted suicide it was to be considered a legal standing (Miller
DEFINING PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE
Before going too far into physician-assisted suicide some terms need to be operationally defined. To begin with, physician-assisted suicide is the hastening of an individual’s death upon request by the individuals themselves, by means of medication prescribed by a physician and administered by the individual. There are specific regulations and criteria that the individual must meet before their request can be deemed acceptable and medication prescribed (Johnson et al. 2014)(Lee 1997). Along similar lines is euthanasia. However, euthanasia is defined as the physician being the one to administer medication with the intent of the individual or patient dying instead of the patient being the …show more content…
This vote barely passed with a fifty-one percent approval and a forty-nine percent disapproval (Lee 1997). It was originally proposed because the dying process in Oregon was seen as to impersonal and it was believed that the hospice care needed to be improved (Werth and Wineberg 2005). However, it was not until 1997 when the act could be enacted due to a legal challenge that arose shortly after the act was voted on (Coombs 2014). Then there was a revote to try and get the act repealed. This revote ended in a bigger margin for in favor of the act than it had in the original voting so the act was officially established (Werth and Wineberg 2005). Another legal issue that was brought up against Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act was the court case of Gonzales v. Oregon (2006). With this case the federal government was arguing that they were to be involved with the control of drugs specifying the drug prescribed to patients seeking physician-assisted suicide. The state of Oregon argued that the federal government was to only be in control of illegal drugs. As there was a specific procedure and way of administering the medication for physician-assisted suicide it was to be considered a legal standing (Miller