Tag: AMA

By Jennifer Popik, J.D., Director, Robert Powell Center for Medical Ethics Earlier today, the American Medical Association affirmed the recommendation of its Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs that the influential AMA remain opposed to assisted suicide. What made the victory even sweeter was the margin– an overwhelming 65% in favor to 35% opposed. After …

By Michael Cook The American Medical Association’s official position on assisted suicide is to oppose it as “fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer.” Its Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs recently recommended that this be maintained. However, delegates at the AMA’s annual meeting in Chicago last week voted by a margin of 56% …

By Dave Andrusko “If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”‘ — George Orwell, “Politics and the English Language” “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control report that suicide rates have risen almost 30% since 1999, which happens to be the year when Oregon issued its first report on legally authorized physician-assisted suicides. … “Giving …

By Jennifer Popik, J.D., NRLC Director of Federal Legislation In a disappointing vote Monday at its annual meeting, the American Medical Association (AMA) voted to continue to review, not maintain, its long-standing opposition to physician-assisted suicide. After two years of hard and detailed work examining the dangerous trends and effects of legalizing physician-assisted suicide, the …

By Dave Andrusko Whenever, and it could be very soon, the AMA decides whether to go “neutral” on physician-assisted decision, the verdict will carry enormous weight. Also invariably, when pro-death forces prevail, one very important reason is because the “body’s defenses” (in the form of leading medical organizations) chose no longer to see “helping” patient …

By Dave Andrusko On May 22, the Psychiatric Times published a very thoughtful article written by Dr. Ronald Pies, Editor in Chief emeritus of the publication. The headline says it all: Will the AMA Heed its own Ethics Council Regarding Assisted Suicide? Who is his audience? A quick Google search tells us that the Psychiatric …