NBC Bayarea.com: As California's right-to-die law goes into effect Thursday, a Berkeley-based doctor will open one of the first practices in the state that specializes in end-of-life options.
"I think it's an important right for the patient to have at the end of their life to control the way they die," says Dr. Lonny Shavelson.
The new law will allow terminally ill patients who meet certain criteria to ask their doctor for a prescription for life-ending medication. But in the event the patient's doctor declines to participate, Shavelson will step in. He already has several appointments with patients to evaluate their situations.
"This needs to be a well thought out, carefully planned," he says. "It's not something you call on Tuesday and say, 'Doctor, I'm suffering,' and on Wednesday we give you a prescription."
"I think it's an important right for the patient to have at the end of their life to control the way they die," says Dr. Lonny Shavelson.
The new law will allow terminally ill patients who meet certain criteria to ask their doctor for a prescription for life-ending medication. But in the event the patient's doctor declines to participate, Shavelson will step in. He already has several appointments with patients to evaluate their situations.
"This needs to be a well thought out, carefully planned," he says. "It's not something you call on Tuesday and say, 'Doctor, I'm suffering,' and on Wednesday we give you a prescription."
2 comments:
And the perfect place for it.
All the other Lefty trends started there, why not this?
I won't judge a person, terminally ill and in pain, for taking their own life. However, they have to do it w/o any help.
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