AUGUSTA, Maine — A pair of bills would allow Maine doctors to prescribe medication that would hasten a patient’s death.
Similar bits by Republican Sen. Roger Katz’s bill and Democratic Rep. Jennifer Parker are both set for a hearing Wednesday.
Both bills would protect health care providers and create a process for patient-directed care for terminally ill adults with limited life expectancy.
Physicians would be able to prescribe a medication that the patient may self-administer to hasten death.
There are a few differences between the bills.
Parker’s bill would also ensure that a physician has counseled a patient about the importance of having another person present when the patient takes the medication to be prescribed.