Convicted murderer Erin Patterson approved for taxpayer-funded Ozempic in Victorian prison
核心洞察
Erin Patterson, serving a 33-year minimum sentence for three murders, has been approved for taxpayer-funded Ozempic while in solitary confinement at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
The Victorian Department of Justice states weight-loss medications are prescribed only on a clinician's advice when there is a clear medical need, such as preventing type 2 diabetes (搜索).
Access to prescribed weight-loss medication was introduced in response to Coroner recommendations following an obesity-linked death in custody.
Erin Patterson, the woman convicted of murdering three people with a beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms, has been granted access to taxpayer-funded Ozempic while serving her sentence at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Melbourne. Patterson is currently serving a 33-year minimum sentence for killing Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to kill Pastor Ian Wilkinson.
The approval stems from Patterson's placement in solitary confinement, where she is locked down for 22 to 23 hours a day due to her notoriety in prison and the need to protect her from other inmates. Authorities have determined she will be unable to exercise for the foreseeable future because of her high-profile status.
Clinical basis for the prescription
A Victorian Department of Justice spokesperson said weight-loss drugs are provided to prisoners based on doctors' advice. "Prescriptions are only given by clinicians when there's a clear medical need - like preventing serious conditions such as type 2 diabetes (搜索)," the spokesperson said.
The Department of Corrections told the Herald Sun the medication has been approved on a clinical needs basis only, to ward off health conditions like type 2 diabetes (搜索) and other complications that can come with rapid weight gain due to her extreme confinement.
"Access to prescribed weight loss medication was introduced in response to recommendations from the Coroner following a death in custody linked to obesity," the spokesperson added.
Ozempic's approved indications and cost
Ozempic is approved in Australia for the management of type 2 diabetes (搜索) and to reduce the risk of kidney and heart problems. It is also commonly used off-label as a powerful weight-loss drug.
The medication is taxpayer-funded for prisoners. Ozempic costs Australians accessing the PBS subsidy between $7.70 and $31, but for off-label prescriptions or where PBS criteria is not met, the monthly dosage can cost about $130.
"Accessing medication in Victorian prisons is like receiving medication in a hospital setting," according to Corrections Victoria. "This means people in prison do not need to pay for their medications. We don't place any restrictions on what medications can be prescribed to people in prison."
Public and political debate
The prescription has prompted debate about the use of highly in-demand medication for convicted murderers. Victorian Shadow Minister for Police and Corrections Brad Batten said in June that if a prisoner is gaining excessive weight in jail, it indicates a problem within the system. "Maybe we should be using prescriptions for more exercise, or a government should be reviewing what they are feeding prisoners here in Victoria," Batten said.
Commentator Cath Webber said on Sunrise: "Diabetes costs the healthcare system a lot of money, but who is going to get behind someone who is convicted of three murders and an (attempted) murder? I think it's a joke that taxpayers are picking up the bill for it."
Commentator James Willis also noted on Sunrise: "The reality is that this is a drug that has had shortages in recent times, on and off, and also a drug that some Australians have tried to get access to and can't for various medical reasons. I don't think it passes the pub test."
During her high-profile murder trial, Patterson told the court she had a problem with binge-eating and body image issues. The Department of Justice does not comment on the circumstances of individual prisoners.