Pain Management Rather Than Assisted Suicide: The Ethical High Ground

Physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia (PAS/E) have been outside the bounds of acceptable behavior for physicians for hundreds of years and remain illegal in all jurisdictions except Oregon and The Netherlands. The morally, legally, and professionally acceptable alternative is excellent end-of-life care. In this article, the arguments in favor of PAS/E are discussed briefly and rebutted. The arguments against this practice are outlined and supported. Because pain (and fear of pain) at the end of life is one of the driving forces behind the recurrent debate about legalization of PAS/E, the medical profession as a whole, and pain specialists in particular, have an obligation to use all available means to relieve pain.