RSSWhat's Going on in Washington?:
The straight talk on implementation of the Death with Dignity Act
There have been news stories circulated that suggest implementation is going badly in Washington with few physicians willing to prescribe. One particularly disturbing story focused on the plight of a terminally ill man in eastern Washington who could not find a physician to prescribe under the auspices of the law. This was a tragic story; but, unfortunately, it was to be expected.
Death with Dignity offers patients one more option at the end of life — an option that, prior to the law being enacted, would have risked criminal prosecution for their loved ones and their physicians. It is, therefore not surprising that physicians were unwilling to change their practices the day after the law went into effect. In our culture, changes take time and the existence of a law does not mean that actions change overnight. The plight of a man dying without the relief of Death with Dignity was not a symptom of implementation failure, it was a symptom of years of cultural failure to address the problems of protracted dying brought about by advances in medical technology.
So, implementation will build slowly in Washington. We know this because we were here in Oregon for the first years of implementation. It will take time for physicians and pharmacists to become familiar and comfortable with the process, and it will not happen overnight. We still deal with similar issues in Oregon. Implementation in Washington is unfolding along the same trajectory that it did in Oregon. We should take comfort in this fact, and support physicians and pharmacists who are changing the ways they practice medicine.
As of this posting, four people have used the Washington law, the first in May, 2009. Monitor the implementation statistics on Washington.
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For more than 14 years, the Death with Dignity National Center (DDNC), a 501(c)(3), non-partisan, non-profit organization, has been the leading advocate in the death with dignity movement. Leaders in our organization originally wrote and have continued advocating for the Oregon Death with Dignity Law. DDNC has met these challenges through extensive legal defense of the Oregon law, education and outreach programs, and by developing and nurturing diverse financial resources with one goal in mind: to ensure DDNC's financial vitality and its position as a leader in the death with dignity movement.
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Political Action Fund
The Death with Dignity National Center partners with the Oregon Death with Dignity Political Action Fund (the Fund) to conduct lobbying and political activities in order to achieve the enactment of Death with Dignity laws in other states. The partnership resulted in tremendous success with the resounding win in the 2008 Washington Death with Dignity campaign.
Learn more about the Fund's efforts to bring dignity to people around the nation.
About Death with Dignity
The greatest human freedom is to live, and die, according to one's own desires and beliefs. The most common desire among those with a terminal illness is to die with some measure of dignity. From advance directives to physician-assisted dying, death with dignity is a movement to provide options for the dying to control their own end-of-life care.
Death with Dignity National Center (DDNC) is the leader in this movement, successfully establishing, advancing and defending the landmark Oregon Death with Dignity Act -- a national catalyst for openly discussing and actively reforming end-of-life care for those who are terminally ill.
Learn more about the National Center and our family of organizations.
Patients & Families
The Death with Dignity National Center was formed out of a profound commitment to the idea that personal end-of-life decisions should be made solely between a patient and a physician. Based on this commitment, we are pleased to provide you with support and information as you face the difficult challenges ahead.
Research Center
We have compiled a comprehensive collection of legal briefs, journal articles, and newspaper clippings. We invite you to explore the wide array of information we have collected throughout our history.
In our Research Center you will find frequently asked questions, the history of the death with dignity movement, state monitoring statistics, and a copy of this groundbreaking statute.
