Maine Amends Death with Dignity Act to Ensure Access by Qualified Patients

Almost every U.S. jurisdiction to enact a MAID statute has subsequently amended that statute to expand access. This is especially true of the six Western states (CA CO HI NM OR WA). But increasingly, the Eastern states have also been amending their MAID statutes (VT) or attempting to amend them (NJ). Now Maine has followed the rest of the pack.

Normally, to receive a prescription for MAID medications, the  patient must make 2 oral requests, at least 15 days apart. The patient must also make a written request at least 15 days after the first oral request, And medications cannot be dispensed until 48 hours after the written request. So, the absolute minimum waiting period is 17 days.

The amendment permits the attending physician to waive a portion of the waiting periods if "in the attending physician's medical opinion, it is in the best interests of the qualified patient, given the qualified patient's condition, as long as the waiting period in total is no less than 7 days."