The End of Life Option Act at Stanford Health Care

The End of Life Option Act is a California law that went into effect on June 9, 2016, and a revised version of the law takes effect January 1, 2022. This law allows a terminally-ill adult, California resident, who meets certain qualifications, to request medication (aid-in-dying drug) from their physician that will end their life. Participation in the End of Life Option Act is voluntary for both patients and physicians. Stanford Health Care respects the rights of our patients to use this option. We also respect the rights of our physicians and staff to choose whether or not to participate in this process. If your doctor chooses not to participate, you may transfer your care to another doctor.

Frequently Asked Questions:

To receive the aid-in-dying drug, the patient must:

• Be 18 years or older
• Be a resident of California (see: How does a patient demonstrate residency?)
• Have a terminal disease with a prognosis of six months or less to live
• Have capacity to make medical decisions
• Have the ability to self-administer the aid-in-dying drug
• Voluntarily ask for the aid-in-dying drug without influence from others