Imagine that instead of taking medication to fend off death from a terminal illness, a person could pay to take a concoction that will end their life in minutes — giving them full control of when and where they die.
This process, known as medical aid in dying (MAID), is legal in 13 states. New York just made it legal on August 5. And one startup, Quiĕtus, launched on the very same day to grant terminally ill patients “a good death” for just under $12,000.
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Quiĕtus was recently profiled by The New York Times. It’s made up of a group of nine doctors, nurses, psychologists and other clinicians. It has no dedicated office because it visits and treats patients in their home.
Before their scheduled death, patients get two medical evaluations and a mental health screening, as well as a prescription for the drugs needed, including lethal doses of cardiac medication, that will end their life. The $12,000 cost for the patient covers all of this and help for the grieving family after their passing.
The complexities of running Quiĕtus
Before Quiĕtus even launched this summer, the group of clinicians had to figure out how they would spread the word about the new practice, how much would a patient need to pay and how would they even
After multiple rejections from pharmacies around the city, Quiĕtus member Dr. Rob Siegel eventually found a family-owned pharmacy in Midtown Manhattan that was willing to supply lethal doses of drugs. The business, however, asked that it not be named by The New York Times for fear of retaliation.
Arguably the most important question was around how on-demand the service would be. During a team meeting in April, Daniel Cogan, the leader of Quiĕtus, argued that the startup always had to be available for patients. He imagined a situation where a patient feeling piercing pain in the middle of night could want to die sooner than planned
However, his colleague, Dr. Cristian Zanartu, rejected the idea, arguing that always being available could lead to serious burnout for the group. And if Quiĕtus medical professionals are always on the go, the startup risks making every death less tender and intimate. He added that if a patient started thinking about drinking the medication in the middle of the night, they could afford to wait until the morning.
