Actions taken in accordance with the Death with Dignity law do not constitute suicide, assisted suicide, mercy killing or homicide.

Pursuant to District of Columbia law, the use of covered medication will not have an affect on life insurance, health insurance, accident insurance, annuity policies, or employment benefits.The cause of death listed on your death certificate will be your underlying medical condition.

Witnesses of Medical Aid in Dying deaths report that most often patients appear very peaceful and pain free.The medicine has been reported to taste bitter, be gritty and cause a temporary burning sensation which can be mitigated by a popsicle or a taste of sorbet. Most patients fall asleep within a few minutes of ingestion and die within a couple of hours. In a study of data submitted to the Academy of Aid in Dying Medicine (formerly the American Clinician's Academy on Medical Aid in Dying,) approximately 95% of patients fell asleep within 10 minutes of ingesting the medication. All patients in the study died, 78% of them within 2 hours of ingestion. (Kaan, 2025.)

The medication that is most utilized is a compound called DDMAPh. It is a combination of sedatives and narcotics, as well as medicines which stop the heart. It comes in a powder form and is mixed with two ounces of liquid, generally apple juice.

You can change your mind at any point until you drink the medicine. You will be asked multiple times if you want to change your mind and can put a stop to the process at any time.

We recommend that you do not have someone pick up your prescription until you are ready to use the medicine. It is recommended that you designate a person to safely dispose of any unused medicine. Information about safe disposal can be found here.