On Feb. 6, 2015 — through the Carter v. Canada
decision — the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) ruled that all provinces
and territories in Canada must permit some form of physician-assisted
death. At the time of the Carter decision, the SCC granted
federal and provincial governments one year to develop a framework to
accommodate physician-assisted death.
An
additional four-month extension was granted in February 2016, shifting
the deadline to develop a framework to June 6, 2016. However, the
deadline has now passed and no official legislation is in place. As
such, physician-assisted death is lawful only where it is in accordance
with the Carter v. Canada decision.
Since Carter v. Canada
does not explicitly exempt pharmacists from criminal liability in
providing physician-assisted death, the College recommends that pharmacy
professionals seek their own legal advice before providing services to
support a physician’s prescription for physician-assisted death.
The College has produced an updated Guidance Document for Pharmacy Professionals regarding Physician-Assisted Death.
Please stay tuned for more information about physician-assisted death
and the role of pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.