Use of Clozapine in First Episode Core Schizophrenia Patients
Poster A78, Thursday, October 20, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Le Baron
Petros Drosos1, Kolbjørn Brønnick1,2, Inge Joa1,3, Jan Olav Johannessen1,3, Tor Ketil Larsen1,2; 1Stavanger University Hospital, Norway, 2University of Bergen, Norway, 3University of Stavanger, Norway
Purpose. The aim of this study is to examine the use of clozapine in non-remitted patients with a core schizophrenia diagnosis (schizophrenia, schizophreniform psychosis, schizoaffective disorder) during the first and second year after their inclusion in the TIPS project. Materials and Methods. The population studied is the patients who were included with a first episode psychosis in the TIPS project in the period 01.01.2002-31.12.2011 and had a core schizophrenia diagnosis. We divided the patients into two groups according to remission status at one-year follow up. We compared the main characteristics of the two subgroups at baseline. We then performed a digital search in the hospital´s journal of the non-remitted subgroup for the words “clozapine” and “Leponex”. Results. Out of the 78 patients with first episode core schizophrenia diagnosis included in the TIPS project during the examined period, 53 were continuously psychotic at one-year follow up. All of them were eligible for clozapine, but to only 3 of them was clozapine considered and two of them were offered clozapine. During the second year after inclusion in the project, clozapine was considered and offered to one more patient. Conclusion. The findings in our study prove the under utilization of clozapine in non-remitted patients with a first episode core schizophrenia diagnosis. Therefore, the clinicians did not follow the recommended guidelines for the treatment of schizophrenia. According to those, clozapine should be the third drug of choice in medicament resistant cases or where the previous medicament therapy led to unacceptable side effects.
Topic Area: First Episode Psychosis