California’s End of Life Option Act: Opportunities and Challenges Ahead

Excerpt

When the End of Life Option Act goes into effect in June of 2016, Californians will be able, for the first time, to ask their physicians for medication to end their lives. Many states introduced similar bills after Brittany Maynard’s highly publicized campaign for physician-assisted death in late 2014, but California’s End of Life Option Act is the first to pass and may signal a national shift. As the largest and most diverse state in the country, California’s response to the law will likely set a precedent that affects many Americans, not just the very few in California who will ultimately use the law to end their lives. Though the path to legalization of physician-assisted death in California was fraught with controversy, at this moment in time, healthcare providers must unite to achieve the best possible care of patients, regardless of whether or not they personally support the practice. Herein we describe the practical clinical, ethical, and policy issues that California, as an example for the country, must address in the wake of the law’s passage. …