The risk of side effects of the medicine would be permissible to alleviate the certainty of the discomfort and danger of his uncontrolled respiratory rate of 44. In short, the Principle of Double Effect guided me through the decision making process and the actions I performed in this case. Chairman's Substitute for H.R. 2260 recognizes what I did in this case as legitimate palliative care, does not view my actions as assisting a suicide or committing euthanasia, and therefore protects me from prosecution for committing those acts. This legislation establishes also that the United States government stands firm in its commitment to ensure that patients receive the very best there is available in palliative care but that the deliberate killing of those patients is neither endorsed nor encouraged by the United States government. It is not unreasonable for the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia as a condition for maintaining a DEA license.
All licenses carry certain privileges and certain restrictions.
It is disingenuous to believe a DEA license should have no restraints. While it certainly is not the final word in a proactive response to the needs of our aging population and dying patients, it is an important start. As we study our progress in further developing hospice, palliative care, and pain treatment for our citizenry, Congress will be called upon again to re-commit itself in principle and practice to ensuring comfort for all people who face serious or terminal illness. This legislation is a giant step toward that commitment. As a physician, I am ashamed to admit that the vast majority of our nation's medical schools and residency programs have simply failed to make medical ethics, pain and symptom management priorities in their curricula.