Canadian court denies prisoner access to anti-anxiety medication

In a judgment released on 22 September 2004, the Federal Court refused to order a federal correctional institution to provide a prisoner with the anti-anxiety medication clonazepam, one among a class of medications known as benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are available for prescription by Correctional Service Canada (CSC) physicians and psychiatrists. However, the CSC formulary provides for a discontinuation schedule for inmates who come from the provincial penitentiary system where the continued use of benzodiazepines is not indicated.