The oregon death with dignity act

To the Editor: Professor Annas's review of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act (Nov. 3 issue)¹ again illustrates the potential for serious gaps between theoretical ethics, the law, and clinical reality. Professor Annas argues that there is no need to change existing laws prohibiting physician-assisted suicide because a physician is currently permitted to prescribe potentially lethal medications intended to relieve a patient's suffering as long as it is not the physician's explicit intention to contribute to the patient's death. When a patient requests a potentially lethal drug in order to “live better,” it appears to be morally and legally permissible.