Investigation launched after Australia man died from taking wife’s assisted suicide pills

The Coroners Court in Brisbane has opened an inquest into the 2023 death of an elderly man who took assisted suicide pills meant for his wife.

Last year, a Brisbane woman was prescribed the fatal drugs, but was taken to the hospital and passed away before she could commit suicide. Her husband was supposed to return the pills, but instead, he took them and died. “We will look at absolutely whether we need to strengthen the legislation about that 14 day turn around for medication to be returned, which I suspect we will do,” Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said at the time. “But we’re going to await the outcomes of that investigation. That investigation will also go to the coroner and also expect the coroner will have some recommendations around that.”

Despite the disturbing outcome, Fentiman still defended assisted suicide. “They have expressed their wish to die with dignity, and we’ve provided a world class system that has enabled people to do that,” she said.

A year later, new details have emerged as courts investigate — including the fact that the man was found dead by his adult daughter. “I thought he was asleep in the chair. I put my arms around him. He was cold,” she said. Neither the man nor his daughter have been named. She was emotional as she testified, telling the court, “I knew immediately it was the VAD.”

READ: Reports show assisted suicide continues to grow in Hawaii

This is not the first time such a scenario has happened. In October, a case study was presented at the North American Clinical Congress on Toxicology in which a man drank from a euthanasia concoction meant for a friend who wanted to die, after it was described as “bitter.” The Journal of Emergency Medical Services reported a similar case in which another healthy person drank from the euthanasia cocktail meant for the suicidal person.

Data from Washington state likewise indicated that the drugs used in assisted suicide go missing on a regular basis; of 400 prescriptions given out in 2021, just 291 deaths resulted. The drugs are not tracked after being dispensed, however, so it’s not known what happened after the drugs were dispensed, including in cases where they were not used. That means the drugs could be accidentally taken, intentionally given to someone else, or taken by a suicidal person without anyone knowing… which is the exact nightmare unfolding right now in the Brisbane court.

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