An Introduction to Medical Aid in Dying – Oregon

Medical aid in dying is the practice in which a terminally ill, mentally competent adult patient voluntarily requests and receives a prescription medication from a physician that they can self-administer to die peacefully. This allows patients to end their lives on their own terms. Medical aid in dying is authorized in 14 jurisdictions with regulations varying by jurisdiction to ensure that the process is carried out ethically and safely.

Oregon was the first jurisdiction to authorize medical aid in dying through a 1994 ballot initiative. After surviving multiple challenges, the law was officially implemented in 1997.

In 2020, Senate Bill 579 went into effect and amended the existing law by allowing a waiver of any waiting period that exceeds a patient’s life expectancy. On July 13 2023, Gov. Tina Kotek signed House Bill 2279, bipartisan legislation introduced by the Oregon Health Authority to repeal the residency restriction in the original Oregon Death with Dignity Act. The bill took effect immediately, making Oregon the second jurisdiction after Vermont to remove this requirement. Information about the law, as well as annual reporting, can be found at the Oregon Health Department’s website.

• Be 18 years or older
• Have been diagnosed with a terminal illness
• Have a prognosis of six months or less to live
• Be mentally capable of making their own healthcare decisions

• Acting voluntarily and making an informed decision
• Capable of self-administering the medical-aid-in-dying drug

A person is not eligible for medical aid in dying solely because of age or disability.