On January 1st, Hawaii’s Death with Dignity law will go into effect. The law allows terminally ill patients to request a lethal prescription to voluntarily end their lives. Including Hawaii, there are now 5 states plus the District of Columbia that allow medical aid in dying.
The non-profit group Compassion and Choices advocates for improved access to access to medical aid in dying. Doctor David Grube is a retired family physician and the National Medical Director for Compassionate Choices. He spent his career practicing in Oregon, which was the first state in the nation to allow medical aid in dying.
He was in Hawaii to help educate healthcare professionals about the law ahead of January 1st. He spoke with The Conversation’s Ryan Finnerty about his experience.
