Philip Nitschke, Euthanasia advocate, applies for Nembutal

Euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke has applied to access banned drug Nembutal on behalf of six terminally ill patients who want to use it as a sedative.

A barbiturate, Nembutal is manufactured in the US, and was available for sale in Australia during the 1950s as a sleeping tablet.

It is the premier euthanasia drug used in the Netherlands and Switzerland for patients seeking to end their lives.

Dr Nitschke said the drug was very effective for securing restful sleep but also provided peace of mind for patients “if things should become difficult and they get caught up in some medical nightmare”.

“It really seems to lift and elevate people’s mood,” he said.

“We suspect it actually prolongs life if you’ve got access to the drug.”

The six patients, aged in their 50s and 60s, who live in NSW, Victoria, South Australian and the Northern Territory, are suffering from cancers and motor neurone disease.

All are expected to die within months.

“The patients have all said they will greatly benefit from knowing they have access to this drug for sedation,” Dr Nitschke said.

A directive from Australia’s Customs and Border Protection in March which warned patients against the importation of Nembutal, indicated doctors could apply on their behalf to import the drug.

If the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) denies access to the drug Dr Nitschke says he will consider possible legal avenues.

“I don’t think (the TGA) is necessarily going to just approve this,” he said.

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