Monitoring of Medical Assistance in Dying Regulations
Due Date: February 09, 2018
In Carter v. Canada, the Supreme Court indicated that risks associated with physician-assisted death can be limited through a carefully designed and monitored system of safeguards. The primary purpose of monitoring is to provide transparency and foster public trust regarding the implementation of the new law. The proposed monitoring regime would use data to build a picture of how the legislation is working — for example core statistics regarding the number of requests and their outcomes, the circumstances of patients requesting and receiving medical assistance in dying — and how the eligibility criteria are being applied.
The proposed Regulations would require medical practitioners, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists to file reports containing certain information related to requests for, and the provision of, medical assistance in dying with a recipient designated in the Regulations, within prescribed deadlines.
Pharmacists who dispense a substance in connection with the provision of medical assistance in dying would be required to report basic information regarding the patient, the pharmacist, and practitioner, and the date and setting in which the medication was dispensed. The report is required within 30 days of having dispensed a substance.
More information about the proposed changes are found in the Canada Gazette, Part I: Monitoring of Medical Assistance in Dying Regulations.
CSHP members are invited to provide comments on the potential risks, benefits, and impacts of the proposed change. Please send your comments to Cathy Lyder (Director, Members and Programs) at clyder@cshp.ca, no later than February 9, 2018.
You can also access this information at CSHP’s Consultation page at cshp.ca.