Prescribe, dispense or administer a drug with the explicit aim of hastening end of life

Life-terminating act by a physician by means of prescribing, dispensing or administering a drug with the explicit aim of hastening the patient’s end of life. This group can be sub-classified into euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, and life-ending acts without an explicit request.

Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the intentional termination of life by a person other than the person concerned at that person's request (State Commission on Euthanasia, 1985). Euthanasia occurs if the physician has indicated that:
• the death of the patient resulted from the use of a drug prescribed, dispensed or administered by him/her or by a colleague for the express purpose of hastening the end of life, and
• it is also indicated that the patient has not exclusively self-administered or ingested the drug, and
• that this decision was made at the patient's express request.

Assisted suicide
Physician-assisted suicide refers to deliberately provided assistance by the attending physician during a life-terminating act which is committed by the person concerned at that person’s request. Assisted suicide occurs if the physician has indicated that:
• the death of the patient resulted from the use of a drug prescribed or dispensed by him/her or by a colleague for the express purpose of hastening the end of life, and
• it is also indicated that no one else but the patient has self-administered or ingested the drug.

Life-terminating acts without explicit request
A life-terminating act without explicit request from the patient occurs if the physician has indicated that:
• the death of the patient resulted from the use of a drug prescribed, dispensed or administered by him/her or by a colleague for the express purpose of hastening the end of life, and
• that this decision was not made at the patient's explicit request.