An excerpt from AMA’s President’s Letter brought attention to the national issue of Physician Assisted Death (PAD)
Because it involves federal legislation, PAD is a national issue. The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has taken the lead for the provincial and territorial medical associations; the CMA framework can be reviewed in the November-December 2015 issue of Alberta Doctors’ Digest, which was a special issue devoted to PAD. A provincial/territorial expert advisory group also issued a report on the subject in November 2015.
Provincially, the respective regulatory bodies/colleges are implementing their own standards of practice for participation in PAD. The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) has:
• Issued an “Advice to the Profession” document.
• Initiated a consultation process on two relevant standards of practice:
o Moral or Religious Beliefs Affecting Medical Care; and Informed Consent
I understand that there are deep divisions in the profession regarding PAD. Nonetheless, the reality of PAD will soon be with us, whether or not the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) grants the federal government’s request for a six-month extension for the stay of implementation of relevant legislation.
