Dr. Peter Reagan has been a leader in the movement for the right to die. He was the first Doctor in Oregon to prescribe to a patient under the Death With Dignity law (Compassionandchoices.org n.p.). Under this law patients who are extremely ill or suffer from depression can commit suicide with a physician’s assistance. Dr. Reagan has been a supporter of the movement for a long time, although he has made some questionable decisions.
For instance, on 2001, Dr. Reagan assisted the suicide of a 64 year old man names Michael Freeland (Patientsrightscouncil.org n.p.). Freeland had a 43 year history of acute depression and a series of suicide attempts (Patientsrightscouncil.org n.p.). While it is obvious that Freeland wanted to die, Dr. Reagan performed the suicide without requiring a psychiatric consultation beforehand. Although the suicide was the wish of Freeland, it a questionable decision ethically that a psychiatric consult was not pursued before taking measures that are as final as death, especially since there is no medical issue that would have caused an early death.
Dr. Regan has been recorded as having feelings of being pushed by families to assist with a suicide. He definitely feels pressure from both sides of the right ti die argument, but ultimately sides with his patients and their families. He has been quoted as saying the following about a patient’s death:
I had to accept that this really was going to happen. Of course I could choose not to participateI found even worse the thought of disappointing this family. If I backed out, they'd feel about me the way they had about their previous doctor, that I had strung them along (Stevens n.p.)
Although he is willing to help with patient assisted suicide, his decision to do so obviously does not come lightly or without a cost to him.
Works cited
Compassionandchoices.org,. 'About CCO | Compassion & Choices'. N.p., 2015. Web. 7 July 2015.
Patientsrightscouncil.org,. 'Ten Years Of Assisted Suicide In Oregon | Patients Rights Council'. N.p., 2015. Web. 7 July 2015.
Stevens, Kenneth. 'Emotional And Psychological Effects Of Physician-Assisted Suicide And Euthanasia On Participating Physicians'. Physicians for Compassionate Care (2006): n. pag. Print.
