“Life-ending peaceful drugs cost up to $20,000

Terminally ill patients wanting a peaceful death in Oregon and Washington are being charged between $3,000 and $20,000 a time for the barbiturate lethal drugs which doctors are permitted to prescribe under the Death With Dignity Acts. Health insurance companies are refusing to pay these exorbitant sums, leaving most patients unable to relieve their suffering.

The long-established superior drug for doctor-hastened death, Nembutal (sodium pentobarbital) has rocketed to prices upwards of $20,000 in America. The next most widely used drug for this purpose is Seconal (secobarbital) for which manufacturers and pharmacies are charging patients $3,000 and sometimes more.

In European countries where assisted suicide is allowed, the price for a lethal dose remains at between $400 and $500.”

Sep. 5, 2015