Health Canada announces regulations for monitoring assisted dying

Posted by on August 10, 2018

Health Canada has revealed its final regulations for a national system for monitoring medical assistance in dying (MAID).

Announced on Thursday, the regulations, which will come into force on November 1, outline what information needs to be reported to the federal government after a clinician receives a request for medical assistance in dying. The regulations also require Health Canada to release at least once a year a public report based on the data that is collected.

Since the legalization of assisted dying in June 2016, methods for collecting information about MAID have differed from one province or territory to the next. The implementation of this national monitoring system is intended to “provide Canadians with a clear picture of how the legislation is working across the country, and create consistent data sets among jurisdictions and regions,” Health Canada said in a statement explaining the regulations.

Dying With Dignity Canada is strongly supportive of the creation of a national system for monitoring medical assistance in dying and provided feedback on a draft version of the regulations earlier this year. A number of DWDC’s recommendations were reflected in the final regulations.

“Our objective is to support the creation of a MAID monitoring system that helps protect vulnerable Canadians, promotes transparency, and improves our collective understanding of how the MAID rules are being applied, without imposing an undue burden on suffering patients and the clinicians who are responsible for their care,” we wrote in our Feb. 2018 submission to Health Canada.

“When it comes to all rules and regulations for MAID, the person — the vulnerable patient whose rights and interests are most at stake — must come first.”

Though Dying With Dignity Canada is supportive of many of the changes that have been made, the organization is calling on Health Canada to review the regulations every six months, to ensure that they don’t deter clinicians from participating in the legal provision of assisted dying.

“If the reporting requirements make it more difficult for eligible people to find a clinician who can help alleviate their suffering,” said DWDC CEO Shanaaz Gokool, “then the monitoring system will have failed the objective of protecting Canadians’ rights.”

You can read Health Canada’s Regulations for the Monitoring of Medical Assistance in Dying on the Government of Canada’s website.

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Hakuja Myojinki commented 2018-08-28 09:23:53 -0400
Just joined dyingwithdignity, I have depression, psychosis and schizophrenia. I have been this way for 8 years now and no medications have been helping me. I was referred to this site by somebody who said that I would find someone to talk with who can better help me with the whole review that is being done in December of this year. There’s a review being done on MAID and mental illness and I seriously hope that the government passes the law that people with mental illness can qualify for MAID. It’s been so stressful and there have been times where I feel like I’m going to lose it, not only this but there’s a pain that I feel that gets worse over time. Was hoping if anybody can help?
Ron Posno commented 2018-08-17 11:49:59 -0400
R. Cormier’s comments are ‘bang on.’ Unfortunately, our politicians tend to ignore what Canadians think, eg. look at the overwhelming support for MAID and Advance Care Directives by 80+% of Canadians polled in February, 2015 – long before the ‘vote’ in June 2016.
Unless this new data is evaluated and utilized in better legislation and procedures, it will wasted.
R. Cormier commented 2018-08-16 22:19:58 -0400
Interesting that in both Schedule 1, 13 (a), and in Schedule 3, 2 (h), it says OR psychological suffering. I was under the impression that the government didn’t give a damn about psychological suffering, only physical, and that psychological suffering was one of the issues the Canadian Council of Academies was investigating into having qualify for MAiD.
As for Schedule 3 (i), ALL patient’s deaths are naturally foreseeable. I may not die for another 10 – 40 years, but I can guarantee you 100% that I will be dead in 50. That’s not just reasonably foreseeable, it’s ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY.
Ron Posno commented 2018-08-14 13:24:17 -0400
Wise caution Shanaaz. — the patient must always be first. Rules, regulations and government procedures usually reflect governance and legalistic fears. Data collection is important but not at the expense of the patient.
Mark Percival commented 2018-08-13 22:44:35 -0400
We, the palliative, need to have the choice, without losing insurance, pension funds, designated for the Benificaries !