The Quebec College of Physicians has suggested that euthanasia could be an acceptable form of treatment for some terminally ill patients with no hope of recovery, a proposal that raises questions about the role that doctors should play in their patients' lives.

The college has said that in cases where patients are in severe pain, it is possible that such patients may die from the painkillers that are prescribed to them. It's a scenario that could be viewed as a form of euthanasia.

Medical ethicist Margaret Somerville said she disagreed that what was being proposed in Quebec was strictly euthanasia, and that it was more of a tactical move designed to promote the legalization of euthanasia, which along with assisted suicide, is currently illegal under Canadian law.

"Giving what is necessary to relieve pain is never euthanasia and everybody agrees about that," she told CTV's Canada AM on Friday morning during an interview from Montreal.

"I think it's extremely important for Canadians to know that I believe they have a legal right to all necessary pain relief treatment, including if the only way you can relieve the pain is what we call palliative sedation -- so you put the person to sleep so they don't suffer any pain."

For such a law to be approved, Somerville said a lengthy debate needs to take place to determine how such a change would affect Canadian society, both today and in the future.

"To put it bluntly, legalizing euthanasia means that our law will be changed to approve of one person killing another person, and also that person will be a doctor, one of our carers and curers," she said.

"As well, we have to think about not just how would such a law be used now, but I ask people to think about how would their great-great-grandchildren die if we legalized euthanasia."

As an example, Somerville pointed to the Netherlands, where euthanasia has been legal for 30 years.

"We've seen continued expansion of what's allowed. I mean now, parents are allowed to have euthanasia for their newborn disabled babies. That was never allowed at the beginning," she said.

A full version of the proposal from the Quebec College of Physicians is expected in the fall.

Earlier this week, famed British conductor Edward Downes and his wife, Joan, died at an assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland.

The couple became one of more than 100 Britons to die in Switzerland, at clinic run by the Dignitas group.

Because of Switzerland's liberal laws on assisted suicide, some 100 foreigners come to the country each year in order to die. It is the only country in the world where foreigners are legally allowed to come and kill themselves.

In some countries, including in the Netherlands and Belgium, the terminally ill are able to receive a doctor's assistance to die.

With files from The Associated Press