Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Drugs used for euthanasia in Flanders, Belgium.

R H Vander Stichele1, J J R Bilsen, J L Bernheim

  • 1Heymans Institute of Pharmacology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. robert.vanderstichele@rug.ac.be

Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
|March 5, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Physicians in Belgium used varied medications for euthanasia, often ineffective doses of morphine, highlighting a need for better training in end-of-life care and medication protocols.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Opportunities and challenges in implementing digital patient-centred cancer care in Europe-a qualitative study of several ESMO Designated Centres.

ESMO real world data and digital oncology·2026
Same author

Practical cancer nutrition, from guidelines to clinical practice: a digital solution to patient-centred care.

ESMO open·2025
Same author

Coping Strategies of Patients With Advanced Lung or Colorectal Cancer Over Time: Insights From the International ACTION Study.

Psycho-oncology·2024
Same author

Effect of the Care Programme for the Last Days of Life (CAREFuL) on satisfaction with care as perceived by family caregivers and geriatric nurses. A qualitative implementation study.

European geriatric medicine·2023
Same author

Large differences in the organization of palliative care in nursing homes in six European countries: findings from the PACE cross-sectional study.

BMC palliative care·2021
Same author

Hospitalisation in the last month of life and in-hospital death of nursing home residents: a cross-sectional analysis of six European countries.

BMJ open·2021

Area of Science:

  • Medical Ethics
  • Pharmacology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Euthanasia was legally forbidden in Belgium until recently, with no established guidelines.
  • Physicians' practices regarding euthanasia medication were largely undocumented.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe and assess medicinal products and doses used for euthanasia.
  • To identify patterns in drug selection and dosage in Belgian euthanasia cases.

Main Methods:

  • An anonymous mail questionnaire was sent to physicians who signed death certificates in Belgium in 1998.
  • A multi-disciplinary panel reviewed questionnaires classified as euthanasia cases.

Main Results:

  • Twenty-two of 1925 questionnaires indicated voluntary euthanasia.
Keywords:
Death and EuthanasiaEmpirical Approach

Related Experiment Videos

  • Opioids were used in 13 cases, but only 4 were deemed effective by the panel.
  • Euthanasia drugs were administered in doses unlikely to be lethal.

    • Conclusions:

    • Pharmacological practices for euthanasia in Belgium were disparate and often ineffective.
    • Physicians appeared unaware of procedures for a quick, mild, and certain death.
    • Medical education should include pharmacological aspects of euthanasia, especially where legally permitted.