The Maine Death with Dignity Law allows terminally ill adults who meet certain qualifications and who has been determined by the person's attending physician to be suffering from a terminal disease, as defined in the Act, to make a request for medication prescribed for the purpose of ending the person's life. The law establishes the procedures for making these requests, including two waiting periods and one written and two oral requests and requires a second opinion by a consulting physician. The law requires specified information to be documented in the person's medical record, including all oral and written requests for a medication to hasten death.
The Maine Hospital Association and the Maine Medical Association convened a series of joint meetings to discuss healthcare providers’ compliance with the state’s new law. The discussion forum included representation from hospitals, physicians, pharmacists, home care providers, long-term care providers and others. Over the course of several months, the group collaborated to compile and develop the resources listed here.