Oregon Death with Dignity house doc loses medical license

Dr. Stuart Weisberg, the Portland Oregon Psychiatrist who made news last June 2010 for planning to establish an assisted suicide center in a similar manner to the Dignitas assisted suicide house in Switzerland, under the name "Death with Dignity" house.

After a disciplinary hearing, related to other issues, on April 8, 2011, the Oregon Medical Board removed the license from Dr. Weisbergs to practise medicine.

People who follow the issues of euthanasia and assisted suicide would remember the story of Dr. Weisberg. Link to a previous article.

What happened:
On June 1, 2004 Dr. Weisberg was put on probation by the Oregon Medical Board for:
1. Violations of the Medical Practice Act,
2. Gross negligence or repeated acts of negligence in the practice of medicine,
3. Prescribing controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose,
4. Failing to follow accepted procedures for record keeping

After fulfilling the requirements related to the probation, Dr. Weisberg was assigned a practice mentor who was approved on June 9, 2009. On June 14, 2010 Dr. Weisberg informed the Oregon Medical Board that his practice mentor no longer supported his ideas and he requested "removal from his services."

Meanwhile, his practice mentor, before being removed as practice mentor, reviewed several of his cases. During the hearing it was explained that at least two of the cases that were reviewed by the practice mentor not only recommended treatment that was not medically indicated, but also an unnecessary risk to his patients.

Compassion & Choices, the assisted suicide group in Oregon, is probably celebrating that they will not face new competition for assisted suicide any time soon.

Now that the Farewell Foundation is attempting to establish a Dignitas style assisted suicide group in Canada, maybe they will invite Weisberg to apply for the right to practise medicine in British Columbia.