Background of Physicians and Suicide In the five states where physician-assisted suicide has been legalized, all practices have been conducted in hospitals by qualified physicians. The issue of physicians playing a role in the suicide of a patient stems from the Hippocratic Oath as well as the Biblical Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” The Oath and Commandment have prevented physicians from helping with ending a patient’s life because they imply that assisting in suicide is essentially murder. As the meaning of the Oath changed over time, the idea of physician-assisted suicide has become more accepted by the public and physicians are not heavily criticized as they are not. Physician-assisted suicide is not seen as murder, but rather a safe
