Project Logo

Protection of Conscience Project

www.consciencelaws.org

Service, not Servitude
Legal Commentary

Redefining the Practice of Medicine

Euthanasia in Quebec

An Act Respecting End-of-Life Care (June, 2014)

Sean Murphy*

Appendix "C": Statistics

C1.  Belgium
The Belgian Act on Euthanasia of May 28th, 2002

Euthanasia was legalized in Belgium in 2002.  The following statistics refer only to reported euthanasia cases.

Note that there is no way to determine from the statistics provided how many times a physician acted as a consultant in different euthanasia cases throughout the year.  A single physician involved in three cases will appear here as three physicians.  Thus, the statistics here indicate the maximum number of physicians involved in reported cases each year, not the actual number of physicians participating.

First Consultant  Second Consultant  Totals 
Year  Deaths  Palliative Care  GPs  Specialists  Unspec.  Psychiatrist  Specialist  1st   2nd 1st & 2nd 
2002-2003 259 51 84 124 0 15 7 259 22 281
2004 349 53 143 147 6 10 14 349 24 373
2005 393 42 166 183 2 18 9 393 27 420
2006 429 43 190 195 1 15 11 429 26 455
2007 495 43 238 211 3 19 9 495 28 523
2008 704 71 326 307 0 38 11 704 49 753
2009 822 85 420 315 2 41 26 822 67 889
2010 953 97 475 381 0 55 25 953 80 1033
2011 1133 109 575 449 0 78 36 1133 114 1247
Sources:  Commission Fédérale de Contrôle et d'Évaluation de l'Euthanasie Annual Reports

No. of Physicians in Euthanasia Cases

Year Deaths Physicians
Involved
Physicians/100,000 Population Est. Total No.
Physicians
% of Total
2002
-2003
259 281 437.3 10,355,844 45,286 0.62%
2004 349 373 441.3 10,396,421 45,879 0.81%
2005 393 420 458.4 10,445,852 47,884 0.88%
2006 429 455 462.7 10,511,382 48,636 0.94%
2007 495 523 469 10,584,534 49,641 1.05%
2008 704 753 474.7 10,666,866 50,636 1.49%
2009 822 889 480.9 10,753,080 51,712 1.72%
2010 953 1033 485.5 10,839,905 52,628 1.96%
2011 1133 1247 491.1 11,000,638 54,024 2.31%
Sources: Commission Fédérale de Contrôle et d'Évaluation de l'Euthanasie Annual Reports; Eurostat: Licensed Physicians Per 100,000 Inhabitants; Eurostat: Population on 1 January- Belgium (Accessed 2014-07-16)

Percentage of Physicians Involved in Euthanasia


C2.  Netherlands
Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide (Review Procedures) Act

Euthanasia and assisted suicide were legalized in the Netherlands in 2002.  The following statistics refer only to reported euthanasia and assisted suicide cases.

Note that there is no way to determine from the statistics provided how many times a physician acted as a consultant in different euthanasia cases throughout the year.  A single physician involved in three cases will appear here as three physicians.  Thus, the statistics here indicate the maximum number of physicians involved in reported cases each year, not the actual number of physicians participating.

  Deaths Attending Physician
Year Total Euthanasia A.
Suicide
Combined GP Hospital Specialist Geriatrician* Other Total
2002 1,882
2003 1,815 1,626 148 41
2004 1,886 1,714 141 31 1,646 188 52 0 1,886
2005 1,933 1,765 143 25 1,697 170 66 0   1,933
2006 1,923 1,765 132 26 1,692 151 80 0   1,923
2007 2,120 1,923 167 30 1,886 157 76 1 2,120
2008 2,331 2,146 152 33 2,083 152 91 5 2,331
2009 2,636 2,443 156 37 2,356 184 87 10 2,637
2010 3,136 2,910 182 44 2,819 193 115 9 3,136
2011 3,695 3,446 196 53 3,329 212 139 15 3,695
2012 4,188 3,965 185 38 3,777 171 166 74 4,188
Sources: Regional Euthanasia Review Committees Annual Reports.  Note: *Includes physicians working in nursing homes.

Number of Physicians Involved

    Total in Netherlands/Category Percentage of Totals, Categories & Overall
Year Deaths  GP  Med. Spec. Physicians %GP %HS % Geriatric %Other %Overall
2004 1,886 7,960 11,275 19,235 20.68% 1.67% 0.46% 0.00% 9.81%
2005 1,933 8,165 12,305 20,470 20.78% 1.38% 0.54% 0.00% 9.44%
2006 1,923 8,450 12,850 21,300 20.02% 1.18% 0.62% 0.00% 9.03%
2007 2,120 9,130 14,080 23,210 20.66% 1.12% 0.54% 0.01% 9.13%
2008 2,331 9,350 14,485 23,835 22.28% 1.05% 0.63% 0.03% 9.78%
2009 2,636 9,660 15,020 24,680 24.39% 1.23% 0.58% 0.07% 10.68%
2010 3,136 9,960 16,055 26,015 28.30% 1.20% 0.72% 0.06% 12.05%
Sources: Regional Euthanasia Review Committees Annual Reports; Statistics Netherlands: Health, lifestyle, health care use and supply, causes of death; from 1900.  Subjects: Care Supply, Health Professions. (Accessed 2014-07-16) Note: percentages of hospital and geriatric specialists and "other" is relative to the total number of medical specialists.  Overall percentage is in relation to total number of physicians.

Number Involved as Percentage


C3.  Oregon
Death With Dignity Act: Physician Prescribers

Physician assisted suicide was legalized in Oregon in 1997.

Year Deaths Prescriptions Prescribing
Physicians
Active MDs % of Active MDs
2002 38 58 33 8,596 0.38%
2003 42 68 42 8,469 0.50%
2004 37 60 40 8,986 0.45%
2005 38 65 40 8,997 0.44%
2006 46 65 41 9,691 0.42%
2007 49 85 46 9,915 0.46%
2008 60 88 60 10,211 0.59%
2009 59 95 64 10,389 0.62%
2010 65 97 59 10,546 0.56%
2011 71 114 62 10,389 0.60%
2012 77 115 61 11,203 0.54%
2013 71 122 62 11,005 0.56%
Sources:  Oregon Public Health Division, 2013 Death with Dignity Act Report: Prescription History; Oregon Medical Board Reports.

Oregon- Deaths, prescriptions, prescribers

Oregon, Percentage of physicians


C4.  Washington State
Death With Dignity Act: Physician Prescribers, Pharmacist Dispensers

Physician assisted suicide was legalized in the state of Washington in 2009.

Year Deaths Drugs Dispensed Prescribing Physicians Dispensing Pharmacists Licensed MDs Licensed Pharmacists % Licensed MDs % Licensed Pharmacists
2009 36 63 53 29 24,670 8,216 0.21% 0.35%
2010 51 87 68 40 25,135 8,556 0.27% 0.47%
2011 70 103 80 46 25,783 8,861 0.31% 0.52%
2012 83 121 87 30 26,167 8,983 0.33% 0.33%
2013 119 173 89 23 26,536 9,289 0.34% 0.25%
Sources:  Washington State Department of Health, Death With dignity Act Reports; Washington State Department of Health, Health Systems Quality Assurance, Health Professions Discipline and Regulatory Activities (2009-2011 Biennial Report); Washington State Department of Health, Health Systems Quality Assurance Division, 2011-2013 Uniform Disciplinary Act Biennial Report.

Washington State Deaths, Prescribers, Dispensers

Washington state Percentage of Professions 


 

 

Print Friendly and PDF

Bills

Bill 52/ARELC
Original & Final Text
Compared

QNA Bill 52 Page

Commentary

Redefining the Practice of Medicine
(Bill 52: 2013)

Hearings