Medical Assistance in Dying
This is where you will find important updates, information and resources that impact nurses in Ontario.
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) came into effect on June 17, 2016. Bill C-14 allowed eligible people to receive medical assistance in dying. It established safeguards for clients and offered protection to health professionals who, in keeping with the law, provide medical assistance in dying.
MAID, as defined in the Criminal Code, R.S.C., 1985, c. C-462, is when:
- A Nurse Practitioner (NP) or physician provides assistance by administering a medication to a client, at their request, that causes their death (i.e., practitioner assisted MAID) or,
- An NP or physician prescribes or provides a medication to a client at their request, so that they may self-administer the medication, and in doing so, cause their own death (i.e., client self-administered MAID)
Timeline of Medical Assistance in Dying law
Date |
Legislative change |
|
June 17, 2016 |
Bill C-14 received royal assent, making it possible for eligible people to receive medical assistance in dying in Canada. |
|
May 9, 2017 |
Ontario government passed legislation related to medical assistance in dying. The legislation provides more protection for clients, their families, health care providers and health care institutions. It also clarifies when Nurse Practitioners and physicians can complete the medical certificate of death. |
|
Nov. 1, 2018 |
The Government of Canada’s new Monitoring of Medical Assistance in Dying regulations came into effect. The new regulations outline what information needs to be reported after a Nurse Practitioner receives a written request for medical assistance in dying. |
|
Sept. 11, 2019 |
The Superior Court of Québec, in its Truchon v Canada (AG) decision, declared that it is unconstitutional for the federal Medical Assistance in Dying legislation to require that natural death must be reasonably foreseeable to be eligible for Medical Assistance in Dying. |
|
Mar. 17, 2021
|
In response to the Truchon decision, Bill C-7 took effect, making a few amendments to the Criminal Code to expand the eligibility for Medical Assistance in Dying. |
|
Oct. 26, 2022 |
Federal government passes regulations to amend the Regulations for the Monitoring of Medical Assistance in Dying that outlines the information MAID providers need to report on when providing MAID. |
| Jan. 1, 2023 | New reporting requirements under the Regulations for the Monitoring of Medical Assistance in Dying take effect. |
| Feb. 1, 2024 | The Government of Canada announced a three-year delay on the proposed expansion of MAID eligibility to include mental health disorders as the sole underlying condition. |
For more information, read the Guidance on Nurses’ Roles in Medical Assistance in Dying.
Documentation Tools for NPs
NPs are accountable for meeting the expectations for documentation outlined in the Documentation and Nurse Practitioner practice standards. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has developed clinician aids to support the provision of MAID.
