Day: January 3, 2017

American Psychiatric Association Releases Formal Position Statement on Euthanasia

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By Wendy S. Salkin

End of Life Care, NIH
Image Source: NIH Consensus Development Project

Last month, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) released a position statement on medical euthanasia. The statement, approved by the APA Assembly in November and approved by the Board of Trustees in December, states:

The American Psychiatric Association, in concert with the American Medical Association’s position on medical euthanasia, holds that a psychiatrist should not prescribe or administer any intervention to a non-terminally ill person for the purpose of causing death.

According to the APA Operations Manual, APA position statements “provide the basis for statements made on behalf of the APA before government bodies and agencies and communicated to the media and the general public.”

For those who are wondering, What’s the American Medical Association’s [AMA] position on medical euthanasia?, here is your answer: From Section 8 of Chapter 5 (“Opinions on Caring for Patients at the End of Life”) of the AMA Code of Ethics: Read More

Mapping Emergency Suspension Powers

Temple University Center for Public Health Law Research Leave a comment

Together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Public Health Management Corporation, the Policy Surveillance Program recently released a new map addressing Emergency Powers laws.

Emergencies might involve dangers to public health, such as an outbreak of the flu; natural disasters, such as floods or earthquakes; or threats to security, such as acts of terror. In 41 states and the District of Columbia, governors are explicitly permitted to suspend laws that would interfere with an efficient, effective response to an emergency. Some states also permit governors to amend laws or create new ones during emergencies.

This new map covers laws granting broad powers to governors to manage emergencies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

PHLR spoke with the researchers, Kelly Thompson, JD, Law and Policy Manager at the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium, an affiliate of Public Health Management Corporation, and Nick Anderson, JD, ORISE Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to discuss their work.

Read on for the full interview! Read More