Clinical Problems with the Performance of Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide in the Netherlands

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 342; no. 8; pp. 551 - 556
• Main Authors: Groenewoud, Johanna H, van der Heide, Agnes, Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Bregje D, Willems, Dick L, van der Maas, Paul J, van der Wal, Gerrit
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA Massachusetts Medical Society 24-02-2000
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Assisted suicide; Bioethics; Biological and medical sciences; Data Collection; Empirical Research; Euthanasia; Euthanasia - statistics & numerical data; Euthanasia, Active; Family physicians; Female; Humans; Interviews; Judicial reviews; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Netherlands; Physicians; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Questionnaires; Random Allocation; Suicide; Suicide, Assisted - statistics & numerical data; Netherlands; Europe; Human; Nervous system diseases; Performance characteristic; Incidence; Result; Chemotherapy; Clinical stage; Clinical management; Physician patient relation; Central nervous system disease; Complication; Death; Assisted suicide; Psychopathology; Euthanasia; Empirical Approach; Death and Euthanasia
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJM200002243420805

Although euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are illegal in most countries, they are performed in several parts of the world.
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Oregon has made physician-assisted suicide legal under specified conditions.
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In the Netherlands, a physician who performs euthanasia or provides assistance with suicide will not be prosecuted if the act has been carried out under strict conditions, which have been formulated by the courts and the medical profession.
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One of these conditions is that euthanasia or assistance with suicide must be carried out in a professionally responsible way. In 1987, the Royal Dutch Association of Pharmacy issued guidelines on the use . . .