Finding into death of Anna Lawrence

64y · Female·Combined toxicity to alcohol and baclofen

Anna Lawrence, 64, died from combined toxicity of alcohol and baclofen on 30 April 2020. She had a 40+ year history of alcohol dependency, borderline personality disorder, depression, and multiple suicide attempts. Baclofen was prescribed off-label for alcohol craving management by her psychiatrist in January 2019 but not redeemed until August 2019—approximately 1.5 years before her death. The coroner found no evidence that any clinician's conduct contributed to her death. However, the finding highlights systemic issues: baclofen lacks TGA approval for alcohol use disorder despite widespread off-label prescribing in Australia, creating an unregulated prescribing environment dependent on individual clinician judgment. The coroner recommends TGA consider approving baclofen for alcohol use disorder to establish safer prescribing guidelines, controlled dispensing protocols, and clearer contraindications for high-risk patients with mental illness or suicide history.