Oregon s death with dignity act 1994

On october 27, 1997 physician assisted suicede became a legal medical option for the terminally ill resistents of Oregon. The Oregon death with dignity act allows a terminally ill Oregon resident to obtain al lethal dose if medication from his or her physician. The act legalizes physician-assisted suicede, but sepecifacially prohibits euthanasia, where a physician or other person direcly administers a medication to end another s life. The following are excerpts from the oregon death with dignity act. Or Rev. Stat,sect 127.800-897 Section 1.01. definitions (12) terminal disease means an incrurable and irreversible disease that has been medically confirmed and sill, within reasonable medical judgment produce death within (6) months.... Section 2.01. who may initiate a written request for mecication? an adult who is capable, is a resistend of oregon, and has been determined by the attending physician toi be suffering from a terminal disease, and whe has voluntarily expressed his or her wish to die, may make a written request for medication for the purpose of ending his or her life in a humane and dignified manner. Section 2.02 from the written request. (1) A valid request for medication ... shall be in substantially the form described in ORS 127.897. signed and dated by the patient and witnessed by at last two individuals who. In the presesnce of the patien, attest that to the best of their knowledge and belief the patient is capable, acting voluntarily and is not being coerced to sign the request..... Section 3.01 Attending physician responsibilities. the attending physician shall: (1) Make the initial determination of whether a patient has a teminal discase, is capable, and has made the request voluntarity; (2) Inform the patient of: (a) his or her medical diagnosis; (b) his or her prognosis; (c) The potential risks associated with taking the medication to be prescribed; (d) the probable result of taking the medication to be prescribed; (e) the feasible altenatives, including, but not limited to, comfort care hospice care, and pain control. (3) refer the patient to a consulting physician for medical confirmation of the diagnosis, and for determination that the patient is capable and acting voluntarily... Section 3.06 written and oral requests. in order to receive a prescription for medication to end his or her life in a humane and dignifield manner, a qualified patien shall have made an oral request and written request, and reiterate the oral request. At the time the qualified patient makes his or her second oral request, the attending physician shall offer the patient an opportunity to sescind the request.

Section 3.07. Right to rescind request A patient may recind his or her request at any time and in any manner with-out regard to his or her mental state.... Section 3.08, waiting periods. no less than (15) days shall elapse between the patient s initial oral request and the writing of a prescription....No less than 48 hours shall elapse between the patient s writter request and the writing of a prescription... Section 6.01 form of the request a request for medication .... shall be in substantially the following form (as shows on page 106).

Patient self determination act -1990

Advance Directives
because of the advances in modern medical technolgy, each person should give serious consideration as to their health care wishes, to decide what they would want done should they become incapacitated, to execute.