Doctors chart new policy on assisted death

The upcoming legalization of doctor-assisted death presents a new challenge for Canadian doctors.

Doctors learn about other controversial services such as birth control and abortion in medical school, even if they have a moral objection to ever actually performing the service, Saskatchewan Medical Association President Mark Brown said.

“But we were never, ever taught about physician-assisted dying. It just wasn’t seen as a role a physician would play.”

The Supreme Court of Canada struck down the law banning doctor-assisted death on Feb. 6, but stayed its decision for a year to allow the federal government to write new legislation. What that will look like is unknown.

Not only do doctors have a lot of learning to do, but nurses, pharmacists and mental health workers will also be involved, Brown said.

“We all have to make sure we get it right, because as early as Feb. 6, you may have somebody asking you

… as early as Feb. 6, you may have somebody asking you for this service that you really need to know how to handle.

for this service that you really need to know how to handle.”

To prepare for that date, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan adopted a new policy on doctor-assisted death Friday.

This included a section describing how doctors can balance a moral objection to the service without abandoning their patients.

“The physician is expected to provide sufficient information and resources to enable the patient to make his/ her own informed choice and access all options for care,” the document says.

Doctors have three options if they don’t want to provide the service, associate registrar Bryan Salte said.

The doctor can send the patient to another doctor to perform the service; refer the patient to a resource — none exist yet, but Salte suggested an equivalent to Planned Parenthood — or delegate the responsibility to another person who reports to the doctor, such as a registered nurse in the doctor’s office.