Some medical ethicists use the doctrine of double effect to argue that it is permissible for a doctor to administer painkillers to a terminally ill patient, even if those painkillers will hasten the patient's death, as long as the doctor's intended goal is to ease the patient's suffering.

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The doctrine of double effect is a principle in medical ethics that justifies the administration of medication to alleviate severe pain, even if it may unintentionally hasten death, provided the primary intention is to relieve suffering, not to cause death.

Some Medical Ethicists Use the Doctrine of Double Effect to Argue