Monash study proves world-leading safety and peace of mind in voluntary assisted dying

New research demonstrates the Victorian model for oral self-administration of voluntary assisted dying (VAD) medication is safe and effective, providing the largest global experience of patient outcomes.

The study, published in the journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, analysed the first six years of experience in Victoria, the first Australian state to make voluntary assisted dying available in Australia. The findings, from 2019 through to 2025, show the medication self administered by patients in Victoria reliably leads to death without the potential complications associated with multi-drug combinations used in other countries. This research offers important reassurance for patients, families and clinicians.

The six-year study provides a roadmap for healthcare systems to implement compassionate, evidence-based end-of-life care.

Lead author Professor Michael Dooley, from the Centre for Medicine Use and Safety at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Director of the Victorian Voluntary Assisted Dying Statewide Pharmacy Service, said the findings cement the Victorian model’s status as a benchmark for the safe and effective self-administration of voluntary assisted dying medication.

Read the full article here.