Hawaii Legalizes Physician-Assisted Suicide

The state of Hawaii recently legalized physician-assisted suicide.  The “Our Choice, Our Care Act” will “give patients the ability to choose their own medical care at the end of life and at the same time, ensure robust safeguards are in place to prevent any possible abuse.”  A mentally competent adult resident patient, determined to be suffering from a terminal disease and who has voluntarily expressed a wish to die, may make an informed request for “a prescription that may be self-administered for the purpose of ending the adult’s life.”  At all times, the patient “shall retain the right to rescind the request for medication and be under no obligation to fill the prescription or use the medication.”  For additional legislative history information on this act, see the HB2739 HD1 page.