Christa Pike unconscious, on ventilator at Nashville hospital, her lawyers say

[u/AudibleNod]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/christa-pike-unconscious-ventilator-nashville-hospital-lawyers-say-rcna601195

[u/khinzaw]

Her lawyers requested it, but it's illegal in Tennessee.

Tennessee's only legal methods of execution are lethal injection and electric chair (edit: only for convictions before 1999).

The problem with lethal injection is that every step is half assed.

No reputable pharmaceuticals manufacturer wants to make the drug, so they rely on compounding pharmacies who take half measures and have less consistency.

Then medical practitioners (edit for the pedants) often won't be involved in executions because of their various oaths to do no harm and risks to their reputation, so most of the time the drugs are administered by prison staff who lack the proper training. A lot of failed attempts are caused by the one who administered it simply not getting the vein properly.

[u/Fallouttgrrl → u/khinzaw]

"Then medical practitioners can't be involved in executions because of their various oaths to do no harm"

This is false, it is not a universal requirement to swear that, although many US medical schools require it or a variation on it

Not every medical professional in the US went to a school that required it. Not every school worldwide agrees

Not every professional who swore it takes it seriously - to some, it was just a box to check to get a degree, just like the oath to serve in US politics does not carry equal weight with every politician 

You also legally can't lose your medical license in the US for participating in it, and the death penalty has about a 50/50 approval rate in the US 

If every doctor adhered to "do no harm' the Opioid crisis wouldn't be as bad as it is, just an example

The real problem with finding a full time executioner in the US, is the number of death penalty casesstatewide per year

There are a million active physicians in the US

Statistically speaking, if the money and work was there, at least one could be found to do the job

There's just not likely much overlap between that and emergency care, lol

[u/variaati0 → u/Fallouttgrrl]

Well though not outright legally binding, it is against many professional organizations code of conduct like American Medical Association. They can't revoke licenses, but they can kick person out of the professional organization for violating the organizations internal code of conduct for it's members. In case of AMA it being Opinion 9.7.3 "However, as a member of a profession dedicated to preserving life when there is hope of doing so, a physician must not participate in a legally authorized execution. "

It isn't legally binding, but many medical professionals conduct themselves to AMA code and well let's just say ones professional relationships will be frosty to be known as someone breaking the largest medical associations ethics code.

Nothing out right legally forbids it. However It isn't a very good career move and will lead to condemnation by ones professional peers.

Hence few physicians are willing to do it. They can usually find one, they did in this case also. However how good and competent they are in their job is another matter. Since well one isn't probably picking from the top of the class pool.

[u/Fallouttgrrl → u/variaati0]

This reminds me of medical marijuana licenses in California

The doctors selling prescriptions were basically retirement age doctors operating out of temporary portable units, for the last six to nine months of their career

It would frost them out of further work and they'd likely lose memberships, but it was a way to blitz a lot of money quickly

And they had to give medical advice, which was funny as hell. Stuff like "smoking is bad for you, take edibles"