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 pharmacists. Part 1 of the survey collected information about the respondents and their education and practice setting. Part 2 asked them to indicate "yes," "no," or "unsure" in response to questions about physician-assisted suicide and to rank the intensity of their religious conviction. Part 3 solicited respondents' opinions about physician-assisted suicide. Respondents returned 534 completed questionnaires. Most of the respondents (72.6%) believed that patients are sometimes justified in wanting to end their own lives but only 48.6% believed that physicians should actively help their patients die. Of those who believed that physician-assisted suicide may be appropriate in some situations, 70.9% considered it to be an appropriate use of prescription drugs. Among respondents who believed that physician-assisted suicide may sometimes be appropriate, 66.6% believed it is inappropriate for a physician to involve a pharmacist without the pharmacist's knowledge and consent. However, only 53.8% indicated that they would want to know if a prescription they dispensed were going to be used in a physician-assisted 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 physician-assisted suicide. Comments in part 3 indicated that personal experiences also influenced pharmacists' attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide. Pharmacists' opinions about physician-assisted suicide vary considerably and seem to be associated with factors such as personal experiences, religious conviction, and age.