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 everythingready 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 livessince 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 stillunclear when the provincewill be completely up to speed, except that physicians and nurses who have demonstrated interestwill receive formal training sometime in the fall.

A minority of doctors

MireilleLanouette, regional director ofplanning and support for the Vitalit Health Network, believes probably only a minorityof 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 ofhaving many people to do it.It's a matter of having some people able to do it."

Since February, a working groupconsisting of doctors, nurses, pharmacists,social workersand ethicistsmet a dozentimes, 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. LynnMurphy-Kaulbeck, president of theNew Brunswick Medical Society.

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

Questions remainabout who will take referrals from doctors who refuse to help patients end their livesin 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," saidMurphy-Kaulbeck.

Catholic hospitals exempted

Hospitalsstill affiliated with the Catholic Church have been exempted from having to follow the assisted dyinglegislation, because of religious considerations.

Those include St. Joseph's Hospital in Saint John,St.JosephCommunity Health Centre in Dalhousie,Stella-Maris-De-Kent Hospital inSainte-Anne-de-Kent,Hpitaldel'Enfant-JsusinCaraquetandHtel-Dieu Saint-Joseph inSaint-Quentin.

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

Health officialshave 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.