Death with Dignity numbers up, with five deaths reported in eastern Oregon in 2025
By Griffin Beach on Friday, April 3rd, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PORTLAND – New data from the Oregon Health Authority shows a steady increase in prescriptions for life-ending medications under the state’s Death with Dignity Act.
The 2025 data summary, released Wednesday, reported a 5% increase in the number of prescriptions for lethal medications, rising to 637 from 609 the previous year. Despite the rise in prescriptions, the number of resulting deaths dropped 5%, from 421 to 400. OHA officials noted the number of deaths could increase as additional death certificates are analyzed.
“What we’ve been seeing over the last several years is a steady overall increase in prescriptions and deaths among Death with Dignity Act participants,” said Tom Jeanne, M.D., MPH, deputy state health officer and epidemiologist at OHA’s Public Health Division.
Only five deaths in 2025 occurred in eastern Oregon, which is defined in the report as Baker, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla, Union, and Wallowa counties. This remains consistent with previous reporting cycles.
The report also found that 6% of patients outlived their initial prognosis. To qualify for the program, a patient must be diagnosed with a terminal illness expected to lead to death within six months.
Other demographic and health statistics from the report include:
- Age: 88% of participants were 65 or older.
- Race: 94% identified as white.
- Education: 50% held a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Primary Diagnoses: Cancer (61%), neurological disease (14%), and heart disease (11%).
Participants cited several primary end-of-life concerns, led by a loss of autonomy (89%), a decreasing ability to participate in activities (89%), and a loss of dignity (65%).
The OHA reported no physicians were referred to the Oregon Medical Board for failure to comply with reporting requirements in 2025. Enacted in 1997, the Death with Dignity Act allows terminally ill Oregonians to end their lives through the voluntary self-administration of lethal medications prescribed by a physician. Participants must be at least 18 years old and capable of making and communicating their own health care decisions.
