Does Physician-assisted Suicide lower the standard of medical care?
Once a patient has the means to take their own life, there can be decreased incentive to care for the patient’s symptoms and needs. The case of Michael Freeland is an example. Michael had been given a lethal prescription and when his doctors were planning for his discharge to his home from the hospital, one physicians wrote that while he probably needed attendant care at home, providing additional care may be a “moot point” because he had “life-ending medication”. His assisted suicide doctor did nothing to care for his pain and palliative care needs. This seriously ill patient was receiving poor advice and medical care because he had lethal drugs. [Hamilton & Hamilton, Competing paradigms or response to assisted suicide requests in Oregon.
