New Brunswick finalizing assisted dying protocol

Nearly four months since the new assisted dying legislation went into effect, New Brunswick is in the final stages of getting everything ready for clinicians to be able to offer the service to patients. 

More than one hundred Canadians have received help from a physician to end their lives since the federal law governing medical aid in dying was passed in June.

• More than 100 Canadians have opted for assisted death since law passed

So far, New Brunswick has refused to report whether any patient had received the service here, citing privacy concerns. 

It is still unclear when the province will be completely up to speed, except that physicians and nurses who have demonstrated interest will receive formal training sometime in the fall.

A minority of doctors

Mireille Lanouette, regional director of planning and support for the Vitalité Health Network, believes probably only a minority of doctors are interested in providing medical aid in dying.

"I wouldn't say most of them are," said Lanouette. "What's important is that we have some who will be able to provide the service. We don't expect a large volume of requests, so it's not a matter of having many people to do it. It's a matter of having some people able to do it."

Since February, a working group consisting of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and ethicists met a dozen times, and consulted with experts and professional associations, to iron out the kinks of putting the new law in place. 

"Quite a bit was left open to the provinces themselves to put in place," said Dr. Lynn Murphy-Kaulbeck, president of the New Brunswick Medical Society.

"Both Vitalite and Horizon are working with the provincial government to come forward with protocols and procedures as to how patients will access the service," said Murphy-Kaulbeck.

Questions remain about who will take referrals from doctors who refuse to help patients end their lives in this way.

"The biggest thing is that physicians want clear guidance, and clear understanding of guidance to the service, protocols, and ensure that their rights in regards to doing the procedure and patient's access are honoured," said Murphy-Kaulbeck.

Catholic hospitals exempted

Hospitals still affiliated with the Catholic Church have been exempted from having to follow the assisted dying legislation, because of religious considerations.

Those include St. Joseph's Hospital in Saint John, St. Joseph Community Health Centre in Dalhousie, Stella-Maris-De-Kent Hospital in Sainte-Anne-de-Kent, Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus in Caraquet and Hôtel-Dieu Saint-Joseph in Saint-Quentin.

Patients wishing to receive medical aid in dying will have to be sent to another hospital, or receive the service at home, which is another option.

Health officials have indicated medical assistance in dying could be administered by a doctor or nurse practitioner at the hospital, or at the patient's residence, or even by the patient themselves using medication prescribed by a doctor or nurse practitioner.