We are following up on your recent article about the California End of Life Option Act. This is complicated terrain, and we feel some clarification may assist in understanding the positions of our institutions.
The California End of Life Option Act allows certain California residents with a terminal illness to self-administer a lethal dose of medication; the law mandates that patients and their doctors follow very strict procedures and complete very specific documentation.
The statute also provides that a health-care institution may prohibit its employees from providing these services; in this community, a number of organizations have indicated that they will not permit their employees to participate in the end-of-life care that the law now authorizes.