April 02, 2003

Position Paper of the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine on Physician-Assisted Suicide

The American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine (ACP-ASIM) published their position paper regarding Physician-Assisted Suicide in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 7 August 2001, Vol 135, pages 209-216. This paper was authored by Lois Snyder, JD and Daniel Sulmasy, MD, PhD, for the Ethics and Human Rights Committee of that organization.

In this important statement, the organization "does not support the legalization of physician-assisted suicide." They state, "The routine practice of physician-assisted suicide raises serious ethical and other concerns. Legalization would undermine the patient-physician relationship and the trust necessary to sustain it; alter the medical profession's role in society; and endanger the value our society places on life, especially on the lives of disabled, incompetent, and vulnerable individuals. The ACP-ASIM remains thoroughly committed to improving care for patients at the end of life."

This is an important statement from this prestigious medical professional organization.