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Washington News: Washington Death with Dignity Act
Published in the April 2009 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter
Washington State residents passed Initiative Measure 1000 in November 2008. The initiative, known as the Death with Dignity Act (Chapter 70.245 RCW), allows competent adult residents to request and self administer life-ending medications. They must be terminally ill and expected to die within six months. Anyone who follows the law in good faith is not subject to civil or criminal liability, censure, or professional disciplinary action. The law gives the same protection to those who refuse to participate. Participation is voluntary. If a health care provider is unable or unwilling to carry out a patient’s request, a patient can request the provider transfer his or her medical records to a new provider. The provider must do so.
Effective March 5, 2009, the Department of Health adopted rules to define reporting requirements for participating physicians, pharmacies, and pharmacists; establish witness qualification; and design a reporting process.
The rule requires participating pharmacies to report within 30 days of dispensing medications for a prescription under this act. The pharmacy will report these dispensing activities on a form provided by the department. The form is filed with the State Registrar, Center for Health Statistics. The report will include patient’s name, address, and date of birth; prescribing physician’s name and phone number; dispensing health care provider’s name, address, and phone number; medication dispensed and quantity; date prescription was written; and date medication was dispensed.
Information collected under this act will not be public record. The department will produce and make public an annual statistical report of the information collected. It developed a Web site for Death with Dignity Act information. The Web site address is www.doh.wa.gov/dwda/.
