Lawful physician-hastened death AAN position statement

In 1998, the American Academy of Neurology published its prior position on physician-hastened death, titled “Assisted suicide, euthanasia, and the neurologist.” In that statement, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) expressed its vigorous opposition to its members’ participation in either physician-assisted suicide (PAS) (prescription without clinician administration) or euthanasia (prescription with clinician administration). ¹ At that time, physician participation in either of these hastened-death practices was illegal in all US jurisdictions except Oregon.