Oregon Has Helped Hundreds of Terminally Ill Patients to Die with Dignity
As one of only two American states to open its doors to terminally ill patients wishing to end their lives with dignity, Oregon has assisted hundreds of people since July 2023 when the requirement that only state residents could be helped was scrapped.
The Dying With Dignity Act (DWDA) became effective in Oregon in October 1997 and allows patients nearing end-of-life to voluntarily administer a lethal dose of medication that is prescribed by a physician.
560 People Received End-of-Life Prescriptions in Oregon
Referred to as assisted suicide or physician-assisted death, 560 people received prescriptions to end their lives from Oregon physicians in 2023, compared to 433 in 2022.
Of those, the death of 367 people from ingesting prescribed medication has been registered with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), an increase of 304 people in 2022. A further 82 people who did not take their prescribed medication died of their illness, while 17 patients outlived their six-months-to-die prognosis.
The OHA reports that of the 560 patients granted end-of-life medication last year, 23 were from out-of-state, representing 6% of the state total.
Cancer is the Most Common Terminal Illness
Terminally ill patient demographics show that most of them are 65 years and upwards. The most common illness is cancer (66%), neurological diseases (11%), and heart conditions (10%).
According to the requirements of the DWDA, to qualify for assisted death patients must be 18 years and older, must be assessed by two doctors, and be mentally capable of communicating with their practitioners.
They must also have been diagnosed with an illness that will cause death within six months. The patients must visit Oregon or Vermont, the second state (that allows out-of-state residents to receive end-of-life prescriptions) for their first medical examination.
2,847 Oregon Patients Have Died Since 1997 After Ingesting Medication
The total number of death-with-dignity life terminations in Oregon since the DWDA was passed in 1997 is 2,847 patients who died after ingesting prescribed medication. The total number of patients who received prescriptions to end their lives was 4,274.
According to the OHA, 88% of the patients died at home, with 87% of those registered for hospice care. All patients had health insurance – 22% had private insurance, and 78% had Medicare or Medicaid insurance.
The three most common reasons given by terminally ill patients who seek voluntary death are the loss of independence (92%), a decreasing ability to live and enjoy a meaningful life (88%), and the loss of dignity (64%).
There are a total of 167 Oregon doctors who write death-with-dignity prescriptions, of who 51% practice in the Portland metropolitan area. Most of the prescriptions consist of amitriptyline, diazepam, digoxin, and morphine sulfate.
Other states in which the DWDA is legal, but where only residents can be assisted are:
- Washington
- Montana
- California
- Colorado
- Washington, D.C.
- Hawai‘i
- New Jersey
- Maine
- New Mexico
Overview
Despite challenges and limited options, such as traveling to another state to find a doctor to write an end-of-life prescription, dozens of terminally ill people make the journey to Oregon and Vermont seeking aid to die with dignity.
Takeaway
According to the advocacy group Compassion & Choices, 19 states considered aid-in-dying legislation during the 2023-24 sessions. Still, Delaware was the only state to approve the proposal to scrap the residents-only ruling. However, the governor has not yet given the go-ahead.
References
Compassionandchoices.org: States Where Medical Aid in Dying is Authorized