The Ethics Of Physician Assisted Suicide

Physician assisted suicide is a debated ethical topic in the science community. “Physician assisted suicide is the term used by the public and in the medical literature to describe the voluntary self administration of lethal medications prescribed by a physician expressly for the purpose of ending ones life” (Chin, Hedberg, Higginson, and Fleming). Physician assisted suicide is not a widely accepted topic, thus it is only legal in 5 states. There are many laws that are associated with PAS, describing what is and isn't allowed to happen between terminal patients and their doctors. Specifically, in Oregon they have the Death with dignity act, which allows PAS to be used in certain circumstances. “The law states that, in order to participate,
Some say that doctors main priority should be to help a patient and make sure they get better, not help them end their life. “They rightly seek to eliminate disease and alleviate pain and suffering. They may not, however, seek to eliminate the patient. Allowing doctors to assist in killing threatens to fundamentally corrupt the defining goal of the profession of medicine” (Anderson). While this article focuses on the cons of allowing PAS, it does not necessarily go against the idea of doctors helping their patients, because by allowing them this end of life option they are alleviating pain and suffering to their patients. And doctors are not allowed to offer PAS to any of their patients, so they are not forcing it upon them as an option, the patient must go to them and specifically request it in order to be administered the drugs. “Patients can refuse or doctors can withhold particular treatments that are useless or causing more harm than good. But in deciding that a treatment is useless, we must not decide that a patient is worthless” (Anderson). Patient happiness and health should always be a top priority, and sometimes that means stretching the limitations of the doctor code of conduct to get their patients what they really want, which could in some cases be
While birth and death are all a part of life they are very different things, they cannot be considered one in the same because birth is bringing a life into the world, which is done in very few ways. While death can happen in a multitude of ways, from old age, disease, an accident, etc. One article in particular talks about the cons of ending your life early, “In your choosing your own death, you are robbing those that love you with the such tenderness, the opportunity of meeting you in your last moments and extending your love in your last breaths” (Tippetts). But are those last minutes worth it, if it means months of pain and suffering, family sitting by your bed watching you deteriorate before their eyes? Some people want the extra time, while others just can't bear the idea of living a life of pain and misery. “That last kiss, that last warm touch, that last breath, matters — but it was never intended for us to decide when that last breath is breathed” (Tippetts). While most deaths are unknown, it is inevitable that these people will die, within the next 6 months or so, so is it really such a big deal, that if they consent, and want to that they end their own lives that we should stop them from doing