safeguards of the law

These safeguards, written into the law, ensure that the patient is protected and is in control of the process.

To request a prescription for medication, the Death with Dignity law requires that a patient be:

  1. An adult (18 years of age or older)
  2. A resident of Oregon
  3. Diagnosed with a terminal illness that will lead to death within 6 months

Factors demonstrating Oregon residency include but are not limited to:

  1. Possession of an Oregon driver's license;
  2. Registration to vote in Oregon;
  3. Evidence that the person owns or leases property in Oregon;
  4. Filing of an Oregon tax return for the most recent tax year.

Patients meeting these requirements are eligible to request a prescription for medication from a licensed Oregon physician. The prescription must be self-administered. To receive a prescription, the following steps must be fulfilled:

  • The patient must make two oral requests to their physician, separated by at least 15 days.
  • The patient must provide a written request to their physician witnessed by two individuals who are not family members or primary caregivers.
  • A patient may rescind his or her request at any time
  • The diagnosis and prognosis must be confirmed by the prescribing physician and a consulting physician.
  • The prescribing physician and a consulting physician must concur that the patient is capable (defined as able to make and communicate health care decisions).
  • If either physician determines that the patient's judgment is impaired, the patient must be referred for a psychological examination.
  • The prescribing physician must inform the patient of alternatives including palliative care, hospice and pain management options.
  • The prescribing physician must request that the patient notify their next-of-kin of the prescription request.

The Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) enforces compliance with the law. To comply with the law, physicians must report to the DHS all prescriptions for medication. Physicians and patients who adhere to the requirements of the law are protected from criminal prosecution, and the choice of legal physician-assisted dying cannot affect the status of a patient's health or life insurance policies. Physicians and health care systems are not obligated to participate in the Death with Dignity law.

Visit the Oregon Department of Human Services website for answers to FAQs.

Defend dignity. Take action.

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.

Your donation today will enable us to continue to advocate for the right of the terminally ill to die with dignity. Please click here to give a secure, online donation. Thank you.

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Washington: Yes on 1000

For two years, our highest organizational priority has been securing passage of the Washington Death with Dignity Act through the voter initiative process.

Our generous donors have helped us provide the campaign with over $300,000 in seed money and we have pledged to raise an additional $650,000 for the campaign. We were an instrumental part of the team that devised the campaign structure, and we will continue to provide political strategy and legal expertise throughout the campaign.

Read on for an insider's analysis of the Washington campaign.

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.

Access resources for patients and families.

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.

Dive into the archives of the National Center.