Dangerous drugs used to restrain inmates

[Legba]

Dangerous drugs used to restrain inmates

Elisabeth Wynhausen

September 15, 2006

AUSTRALIAN jails are prescribing drugs known to have dangerous side effects to manage prisoner behaviour.

In one instance, a NSW prison doctor prescribed the antipsychotic medication Seroquel to a prisoner who was not psychotic. Six months later he developed diabetes - a known side-effect of the drug.

Seroquel, the trade name for Quetiapine, is one of a class of "atypical antipsychotics" prescribed for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Forensic psychiatrist Yolande Lucire, who has worked as a consultant psychiatrist in NSW prisons, said Seroquel was a special purpose medication that should only be prescribed to people who "meet the criteria for schizophrenia".

"What happens in the prisons is they don't really bother much about the criteria," Dr Lucire said.

The mother of the NSW prisoner who developed diabetes told The Australian: "As far as he knows he has never been diagnosed with either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder."

She believes that Seroquel and other antipsychotics and antidepressants are used in prisons as a form of "chemical restraint" to control and manage prison inmates.

"It's not just him. He told me many of the guys he talks to are on Seroquel," the mother, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals against her son.

The US Food and Drug Administration has issued what are known as "black box warnings" about most atypical antipsychotics, saying they can cause diabetes.

According to Michael Strutt, a researcher for the prisoner support group Justice Action: "Atypical antipsychotics are routinely used in prisons throughout Australia - often for prison management."

"They won't necessarily benefit the prisoner, but they're useful to keep prisoners sedated," Mr Strutt said.

Dr David Kitching chairman of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry's committee on psychotropic medication said: "The college wouldn't support the use of psychotropic medications for chemical restraint."

But Justice Health, the NSW health department agency responsible for the health care of prison inmates, defended the drug's use.

"One of the side effects of Seroquel are diabetic type symptoms, e.g. raised blood sugar,'' Justice Health spokeswoman Alex Warner said.

"These side effects go away when the patient stops taking Seroquel," Ms Warner said.

However Mr Strutt disagrees. "Although the effects may subside somewhat if the medication is discontinued, the cellular damage will not be reversed and the patient may continue to suffer from diabetic problems or full blown diabetes for life," he said.

Now in the second year of a lengthy sentence, the prisoner with diabetes has gained so much weight he no longer fits into the prison coveralls, his mother said.

"He says he was not advised of any side effects before they put him on Seroquel," she said.

Diabetics are supposed to have their blood sugar levels tested frequently. "My son says this does not happen."

Law firms in both Canada and the US have launched class actions suits against Zyprexa manufacturer Eli Lilly, on behalf of clients diagnosed with diabetes after taking the medication. The firm has strenuously denied accusations that the drug increases the risk of developing diabetes.

Source

[wandjina]

 

that doc's my boss!!!

[chief23]

Antipsychotics cause suicidal thoughts.