Terminally ill patients with less than six months to live will soon be able to ask their doctors to prescribe them lethal medication in Washington state, USA Toiday reports.
But even though the "Death with Dignity" law takes effect Thursday, people who might seek the life-ending prescriptions could find their doctors conflicted or not willing to write them.
"There are a lot of doctors, who in principle, would approve or don't mind this, but for a lot of social or professional reasons, they don't want to be involved," Tom Preston, a retired cardiologist and board member of Compassion & Choices said.
But Preston said discussions about end-of-life issues between doctor and patient will increase because of the new law, and he thinks that as time goes on more and more doctors who don't have a religious or philosophical opposition will be open to participating.
"It will be a cultural shift," he said.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that it was up to states to regulate medical practice, including assisted suicide, and Washington's Initiative 1000 was passed by nearly 60% of state voters in November.
It became the second state, behind Oregon, to have a voter-approved measure allowing assisted suicide.
But even though the "Death with Dignity" law takes effect Thursday, people who might seek the life-ending prescriptions could find their doctors conflicted or not willing to write them.
"There are a lot of doctors, who in principle, would approve or don't mind this, but for a lot of social or professional reasons, they don't want to be involved," Tom Preston, a retired cardiologist and board member of Compassion & Choices said.
But Preston said discussions about end-of-life issues between doctor and patient will increase because of the new law, and he thinks that as time goes on more and more doctors who don't have a religious or philosophical opposition will be open to participating.
"It will be a cultural shift," he said.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that it was up to states to regulate medical practice, including assisted suicide, and Washington's Initiative 1000 was passed by nearly 60% of state voters in November.
It became the second state, behind Oregon, to have a voter-approved measure allowing assisted suicide.
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