Basic requirements:
Every U.S. aid-in-dying law requires the same basic qualifications.
In order to begin the process in any enacted state, a patient must already meet these minimum requirements:
- be an adult.
- have a clinically-confirmed terminal condition with a six-month-or-less prognosis.
- have the mental capacity to make an informed decision.
- be making a voluntary request for the medication.
Important to know…
State to state, aid-in-dying laws do vary. As an example, some states require residency, waiting periods vary, and so forth. But the following is TRUE for every jurisdiction where aid-in-dying medicine is practiced:
- All aid-in-dying laws forbid the use of IV administration or lethal injection.
- The medication may only be taken into the digestive system (by mouth, feeding tube, ostomy, or rectal catheter).
- Active euthanasia for human beings is forbidden in the United States and is not part of the practice of aid-in-dying medicine.
Check enacted laws to learn more about a specific jurisdiction, or reach out to the local state organization if there is one.