An inquest has been told about a man who took a voluntary assisted dying drug meant for someone else and was discovered dead at home by his adult daughter.
“I assumed he was dozing off on the chair. I wrapped him up in my arms. The woman remarked, “He was cold.”
The inquest into the death of an 80-year-old man known only by the moniker ABC began on Tuesday at the Brisbane Coroners Court.
For legal reasons, ABC’s identity, his family members’ names, and numerous other information surrounding his death cannot be made public.
Once voluntary assisted dying (VAD) was made legal in Queensland in January 2023, the chemical that ultimately led to ABC’s death was bought legally.
A person may self-administer a VAD drug in a private setting as long as they designate a responsible party, and that person will be legally obligated to return any unused or leftover amount within 14 days.
ABC reportedly maintained the VAD material in his house even after it was no longer needed by someone else, according to Coroner David O’Connell.
When ABC’s daughter returned from doing errands, she found the house locked and the shades shut. She said she shook him and held his hand.
The woman, at times brimming with tears and bursting into tears, stated her husband had informed her that there was an open package on the kitchen table.
She said, “I realised right away that it was the VAD.”
ABC was temporarily unable to leave his home, so O’Connell asked the woman if anyone had considered having a medical professional collect the VAD material.
“Looking back, I never even considered asking,” the woman remarked.
The VAD personnel at Queensland Health knew that the material needed to be returned, and ABC had promised to do so when he picked up his other prescription.
One patient had the substance not being kept at home, a registered nurse working with VAD told the inquiry.
The man decided it was unsafe to have the shared accommodation in the residence. The nurse stated, “It was brought to the nearby hospital.”
If the nurse thought the substance was harmful, she would not let it to be kept in a house either.
O’Connell expressed concern that laws governing self-administering VAD would cause bodily or psychological harm to those who are not terminally sick.
“We’ve got medication safety and patient autonomy; we’ve got to find where the pendulum swings to get the balance right,” he stated.
According to the nurse, VAD materials were stored in a locked cabinet that needed two keys to open, but once a patient acquired ownership, it was not checked on.
Queensland Health Bar Association Barrister April Freeman questioned the nurse about the possibility of lethal dosages of painkillers being administered to certain cancer patients.
The nurse said that was normal and that she was unaware that once the medications were given to patients, health authorities had control over them.
