Overview
- Eligible patients must be mentally competent adult New York residents with a terminal diagnosis and a prognosis of six months or less who request medication they self-administer.
- A five-day wait between prescription and dispensing is required, with the patient’s oral request recorded on audio or video and kept in the medical record.
- Patients must receive a mental health evaluation, the initial physician assessment must occur in person, and financially interested parties cannot serve as witnesses or interpreters.
- Health professionals and religiously affiliated facilities are not obligated to participate, and violations can be treated as professional misconduct under state law.
- Supporters plan education and implementation efforts during the rollout, while disability-rights and Catholic leaders voice continued concerns about coercion and protections.