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It is true that the Medical Aid in Dying legislation doesn’t mandate what type of drugs should be used in the prescription that a dying New Yorker would take to end their suffering and die peacefully in their sleep. That is intentional.

There are no laws in New York that tell doctors what kind of medication to prescribe in any other circumstance. Spelling out the specific prescription in a statute would be inappropriate, particularly given the pace of change in the pharmaceutical industry regarding drug formulations and the availability of particular medications.

Medical providers must have the discretion to constantly review best practices and determine the right prescription for their patients. The laws in the 10 states and Washington, D.C., where medical aid in dying is legal do not specify exact practices.

Medical care must always be tailored to meet the needs of specific patients. Medical Aid in Dying should be no exception.

Published June 9, 2025

The article “Drugs not specified in assisted death bill,” May 15, focuses on the medication that would be used under the Medical Aid in Dying Act. Parts of the article beg for comment and clarification.

The New York bill, like similar laws in other states, does not “relinquish control” of the choice of medication. Since medical aid in dying is a medical practice, the choice of the medication is made by the attending physician. There is not, and should not be, any role for the legislature, the Commissioner of Health, or pharmacists to specify what medication is used.

The drugs used for medical aid in dying are all designated “safe and effective” by the Food and Drug Administration. However, the attending physicians are not looking for a “safe” medication, but rather one that leads reliably to a peaceful death. This leads to the prescribing of drugs in quantities and/or in combinations that are “off-label." Until 10 years ago, a common barbiturate sedative was often prescribed to be used at a high dosage, but now a mixture of powdered drugs is prescribed. A special (compounding) pharmacy prepares the medication. Other medications may be used in the future.

The best information about the medications used in the United States comes from the Academy of Aid-in-Dying Medicine, the leading national organization for clinicians in this field. Doctors and other health professionals from Maine to Hawaii use the Academy to share their expertise.

The writer is the Director of Death with Dignity, Albany.

Published June 9, 2025

Kudos to the Times Union for endorsing the Medical Aid in Dying Act that finally passed the state Assembly after almost 10 years. Now the Senate must follow their lead. More than 70% of New Yorkers support the Medical Aid in Dying Act, which lets someone with less than six months to live obtain a prescription for life-ending medications and spare themselves an agonizing death. That’s all it does. It doesn’t stop people from using palliative care or hospice or force anyone to use medical aid in dying if they oppose it.

Some religious opponents don’t want the rest of us to have this option even if we don’t share their beliefs. Personally, I don’t want to suffer needlessly at the end of my life because someone with different beliefs thinks I must. Other opponents fear that people with........

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