Doctor disciplined after assessing patient's assisted suicide eligibility at a coffee shop

A Canadian physician has been placed under supervision following concerns from medical regulators after he assessed a patient who applied for Medical Assistance in Dying at a coffee shop and failed to administer a neuromuscular-blocking medication to a second patient.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) placed Dr. James MacLean of Ontario under three months of moderate supervision followed by three months of low supervision because of concerns related to his conduct in two separate 2024 cases involving individuals seeking to hasten their deaths through physician-assisted suicide.

While the patients' names were not disclosed in public documents, The Globe and Mail reported last week that one patient was a 45-year-old man named Thomas Dillon who had Crohn's disease. Medical records also show that Dillon had a history of alcohol abuse, depression and suicidal ideation.

MacLean and a nurse practitioner determined that Dillon's Crohn's disease made him eligible for MAID.

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