PHARMACISTS ATTITUDES TOWARD PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE

Pharmacists' attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide were measured . Surveys were mailed to a national random sample of 1050 licensed pha rmacists. Part 1 of the survey collected information about the respond ents and their education and practice setting. Part 2 asked them to in dicate ''yes,'' ''no,'' or ''unsure'' in response to questions about p hysician-assisted suicide and to rank the intensity of their religious conviction. Part 3 solicited respondents' opinions about physician-as sisted suicide. Respondents returned 534 completed questionnaires. Mos t of the respondents (72.6%) believed that patients are sometimes just ified in wanting to end their own lives but only 48.6% believed that p hysicians should actively help their patients die. Of those who believ ed that physician-assisted suicide may be appropriate in some situatio ns, 70.9% considered it to be an appropriate use of prescription drugs . Among respondents who believed that physician-assisted suicide may s ometimes be appropriate, 66.6% believed it is inappropriate for a phys ician to involve a pharmacist without the pharmacist's knowledge and c onsent. However, only 53.8% indicated that they would want to know if a prescription they dispensed were going to be used in a physician-ass isted suicide, and only 34.3% indicated that they would ever knowingly participate in one. Younger pharmacists and those with a high degree of religious conviction were significantly more negative toward physic ian-assisted suicide. Comments in part 3 indicated that personal exper iences also influenced pharmacists' attitudes toward physician-assiste d suicide. Pharmacists' opinions about physician-assisted suicide vary considerably and seem to be associated with factors such as personal experiences, religious conviction, and age.