Washington State Could Let Terminally Ill Patients Take Lethal Drug Doses

Posted by Jacob Goldstein in the Wall Street Journal Health Blog Voters in Washington State will decide on Tuesday whether to allow dying patients to get a prescription for medicine to commit suicide. Here’s the complete text of the initiative, known as Measure 1000. The measure would apply to patients who are mentally competent and have a life expectancy of less than six months. Patients would have to request the lethal dose once, then go through a 15-day waiting period, then make the request again both orally and in writing. Two doctors must approve the request, and the patient must be the one to take the dose (it can’t be administered by a doctor). This Seattle Times story gives a more detailed overview of the requirements.