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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-02-17 Daily Xml
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MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS, HEATWAVE DEATHS

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (16:49): My question is to the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Has the minister initiated an inquiry into the death during the recent heatwave of four public mental health patients who were being treated with the same schizophrenia medication? The opposition is informed that a memorandum was circulated to staff at the Glenside Hospital on 4 February by a Central Northern Adelaide Health Service employee, which states:

Please note that the pharmacy has alerted all units that during this recent heatwave there have been four fatalities of clients on Clozapine.

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH (Adelaide—Minister for Education, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (16:50): It is quite apparent that there are many medications which present some risks during unusually hot weather. It is particularly so when patients are on a combination of medications. Certainly, I would be surprised if, in the recent heatwave, there had not been some adverse reactions to some therapeutic drugs that were prescribed. Certainly, I will find more details on the matters that the honourable member talks about and come back to the house.

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