District of Columbia’s Death with Dignity Act
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 11 jurisdictions with regulations varying by jurisdiction to ensure that the process is carried out ethically and safely.
The D.C. Death with Dignity Act authorizes the practice of medical aid in dying, allowing a terminally ill, mentally capable adult with six months or less to live to request from their doctor a prescription for medication that the patient can decide to self-ingest to die peacefully if their suffering becomes unbearable.
The D.C. Death with Dignity Act went into effect on February 18, 2017 with and was implemented in June, 2017.
Eligibility
To be eligible to use the law, the individual must:
- 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
The patient must also be:
- A resident of the District of Columbia
- Capable of self-ingesting the aid-in-dying medication
- Making an informed decision and voluntary request for medication
