Oregon Doctors Hand Out More Deadly Assisted Suicide Drugs to Patients

Oregon saw a more than 4% increase in physician-assisted suicide prescriptions in 2025, according to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA)’s 28th annual report on the state’s “Death With Dignity Act” (DWDA). The report indicates an ongoing upward trend in the prescription of lethal drugs as assisted suicide deaths continue to account for about one in every 100 Oregon deaths.

This month, Oregon Health Authority reported that physician-assisted suicide prescriptions increased about 4.6% from the prior year, with 637 prescriptions of lethal drugs reported in 2025 compared with 609 in 2024. 

Though prescriptions rose in 2025, reported deaths ticked downward, with 400 deaths in 2025 compared with 421 in 2024. However, ingestion status for 28% of patients was unknown as of the time of the report. The
number of deaths in 2025 included 42 people who had been prescribed the drugs in a previous year. ---More...