Sociology

Definition
Physician assisted suicide may be defined as a medical term that indicates an ethical problem a patient gives up hisher life voluntarily by administrating deadly substances with the assistance of a physician, either direct or indirect.

In this practice, a patient is provided with the prescription of the medicines that are basically aimed to terminate the life of that person. The medication is provided on the request of the patient or by hishr family members. In other words, the act can be called as the aid of dying. It is a legal suicide in which a patient takes toxic medicines with the permission of the physician. The permission is given based on different laws, rules and policies that are established for physical assisted suicide especially. (Kopelman, 2001)

Nature of the Study
In this study, we are going to find out the concept and policy of the Physical Assisted Suicide. The nature of this paper is exploratory and it is a pros and cons analysis paper. This will allow us to decide whether we should favor or oppose this medical practice. We have made an analysis of this issue by exploring every relevant topic.

Scope of the Study
The scope of the study is broad as the domain area encompasses many aspects of Physician Assisted Suicide. In this paper, we will first give a brief description of this medical practice. The study will also discuss the policy option related to this issue. The analysis of the policy option will enable us to develop our own opinion on whether this policy should be supported or not. Finally, we will also present our own point of view regarding this medical practice. This opinion will be created based on the analysis that will be present in the paper.

Policies over Physician Assisted Suicide
As we know, a physicians main role is to assist patients in recovering from a particular disease rather than helping them commit suicide. They act as healers therefore they should come up with different policies in order to motivate their patients towards fighting against their will of committing suicide. But in the entire world, there are many different cases which are witnessed by the physicians due to which PAS is justifiable. Therefore, when physicians assist a patient by participating in the death of a person, different policies need to be adopted such as motivation level of the patient. There are cases where patients have a very low level of motivation because of which they require medical assistance in order to avoid committing suicide. Such suicide helps them to get rid of the pain and suffering they undergo due to their disease or illness. Apart from that mental assessment done by the physicians in order to help patients die they also require additional expertise which will further help the patient.

 When a patient requires medical assistance for committing suicide they most probably are under some depression or external pressure so as to make sure, physicians, while providing assistance to their patients, will require valid information on all the accounts in order to help their patients in best possible manner.

Other than this, there should be a good communication between the patient and the physician in order to understand their circumstances and to advice them in a way which is most suitable for them. Such understanding is necessary as suicidal decisions may be connected with many other things such as life insurance of the patient, which will be at stake when making a decision to commit a medical assisted suicide. A physicians role while assisting is very tough one as heshe has to analyze the patient critically in order to proceed assisting. Recently, many people in the United States are supporting such act as they do not want themselves to be dependant on other people who are mentally and physically stable. In such a case, a physician needs to comply with a policy of motivating them so that they terminate their illness through their own zeal. Other different symptoms are also found in the patients willing to commit suicide through the assistance of physicians. Symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, constipation are found in the patients willing to die. In such cases, physicians are required to adopt policies for increasing their motivation level and the will of a patient to live in order to achieve dignified status in the society. Still, there are many cases such as brain cancer, brain tumor, etc. due to which a patient may suffer slow death. Therefore, they request physicians as to provide them with assistance in committing suicide. Thus, physicians should adapt to a policy which will be helpful to them in giving assistance to commit suicide in order to release the patients from slow pain and suffering. To intact all such policies the physicians are required to get an approval from the Supreme Court as to assist a patient in a suicidal medication. While implementing such policies there should be a very close relationship between the physician and the patient which can examine the mental state as well as the physical state of the patient. (Drickamer, 1997)

Pros and Cons
The article, Montana court to rule on assisted suicide case was published in the newspaper The New York Times on August 31, 2009, shows that the Physician Assisted Suicide is having its pros. The article focuses over the lymphocytic leukemia patient who struggle hard for getting the right to have a PAS. The patient had gone through a very miserable time and he was not getting the assistance to die. As the Constitution of Montana did not support this right to be given to the patients, the state struggled a lot in getting this right as sometimes the human being has to face such miserable conditions which do not have any cure. If the right to die is not given, then the patients have to wait for the death to come. This miserable time period is the violation of dignity and respect of human life. For this reason, some people supported that such a right should be given in extreme cases. Some people are of opinion that people who do not have any chances to come back to life cannot be loved with honor and dignity so they should be given right to die. (Johnson, 2009)

As far as constitutions are concerned, we can consider the article under the title Doctor assisted suicide gains ground published in the newspaper The Boston Globe on January 18, 2006. This article opposes the right of assisting suicide to be given to the physicians. The major constitutions of giving this right to the doctors are providing the ways for all the physicians to make decision of a patients life. A life is a very valuable asset and it should not be treated with careless attitude. The right to end up the life of a patient can be given to the Supreme Court but not to the doctors. If this right will be given to the doctors then maybe a doctor may not take proper decision and a hasty decision may end up someones life. (Savage, 2006)

Argument
The policies that we have discussed in this paper, so far, regarding the Physician Assisted Suicide should be supported by the physicians and other medical bodies. We are in favor of this policy if, in any case, the Physician Assisted Suicide can be allowed. Although, the law and legal jurisdiction has only allowed the Physician Assisted Suicide in the very extreme cases where there are no chances of providing the patient with relief. The above defined policy clearly admits the fact that before giving the patient the toxic dose, it is necessary that all the possible efforts should be made to cure the patient. There are many patients who want to have such medication just because they are going through some bad phase of life and as a result they want to die. This act should be prohibited and none of the patients with the symptoms of depression should be given such drugs. These patients should be judged for their mental status and then appropriate medication should be given in order to treat their mental problem. A physician should first treat and guide the patient. It is also required that the physician must encourage the patient to go back to life so that the will power of the patient is developed. Intense care should be given to the patient so that he can fight for his life. Although this will be a very painful time period for the patient, life is a valuable asset and it should not be lost in a state of depression or emotional distress. The policy is also being favored as it forces the physicians to not only be in contact with the patient, but  it also emphasizes on that if the patient is not getting to recover and is still demanding the Physician Assisted Suicide then his external life should also be observed. This will enable the physician to realize the external pressures that are forcing the patients to commit suicide. The policy also suggests that the practitioners should make detailed discussions with the patients and try to find out the reason which is not allowing them to retreat. In most cases, the patients who make requests for suicide are the ones who are facing some sort of extreme depression. Such patients are treatable and they only need high level care. If their reason for depression is resolved then they can be made optimistic for life once again. On the other hand, there are patients who are facing chronic diseases and no treatment is able to reduce their pain and misery. Then, at a certain level, the physician should agree with these patients. The best part of this policy is that it does not allow the practitioners to make   their own decision. The case will be presented in the Supreme Court and the decision will be made according to the law that has been formulated for this kind of suicide. We are in favor of this policy as it is taking the life of a patient as the most valuable asset. It is only allowing the suicide to be made when there is no other option or choice left and the patient is facing a miserable time. Along with taking care of the patients life the policy is also maintaining the level of respect for this profession.

Opinion
After studying it deeply, we are now going to present our own opinion, established while performing this analysis. This issue is very much concerned with the moral and the ethical behaviors. The ethics is a subject of intense debates and it is also being discussed whether ethics of Physician Assisted Suicide is right or not. There are also discussions that Physician - Assisted Suicide should be preferred for someone who wants to run away from certain situations. This provides assistance to suicide. These factors are based on each individual who wants some guidance on Physician Assisted Suicide and rely on the right decision by keeping in view how it will end. The perfect course should be preferred for their life. Some people say that Physician - Assisted Suicide is ethical and should be followed, although some other people say that this practice is fruitless and should not be concerned at all. The opponents are based on the duty that the life should be saved. Some points are even proved to be right that the Physician - Assisted Suicide is unethical as others may take advantage negatively. Some poor and illiterate people can apply Physician Assisted Suicide for many reasons, for example, complex and expensive care options can prove it in the best way. By going through this analysis of pros and cons we have come to an opinion that PAS should only be allowed in the very extreme cases where there are no more options available for comforting the patient. We are not in favor of PAS and do not want it to become a common practice.Following are the arguments

1.Sanctity of life
In this point, religious and secular traditions are being based on the fact that assisted suicide is wrong . Applying it is against our strong beliefs.

2.Passive vs. Active distinction
The difference is being showed here that letting to die and killing are two different measures. It is being discussed that without treatment death is not right in any manner and withholding treatment is passive death and right in all manners hence, PAS believes in killing which is not right in any case except for the extreme ones.

3.Potential for abuse
Here, it is being discussed that some people who are getting less care and support from their families are being pushed to take such steps. Assisted death may encourage other family members to do it. Being on the safe side, PAS should be prohibitted and should remain illegal.

4. Professional integrity
This historical and ethical tradition of medicine is becoming usual which encourages one to take hisher life.

5.Fallibility of the profession
The problem raised in this is that some physicians may make mistakes in diagnoses and progonis. This is the basic problem in this and making errors in any case such as diagnosis and treatment of despression may force the person to take such steps. It is suggested that the protection of lives should be concerned by not making such mistakes

On the bases of above mentioned arguments, we simply conclude with an opinion that we are   not in favor of PAS, excluding the extreme cases.