Monitoring the safe use of clozapine : A consensus view from Victoria, Australia

• Published in: CNS drugs Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 117 - 127
• Main Authors: BERK, Michael, FITZSIMONS, Joanna, KULURIS, Bill, CALLALY, Tom, DODD, Seetal, LAMBERT, Timothy, PANTELIS, Christos, KULKARNI, Jayashri, CASTLE, David, RYAN, Elizabeth W, JESPERSEN, Sean, MCGORRY, Pat, BERGER, Gregor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hong Kong Adis International 01.01.2007; Auckland Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc
• Subjects: Agranulocytosis - chemically induced; Antipsychotic Agents - adverse effects; Antipsychotic Agents - blood; Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use; Australia - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Clozapine - adverse effects; Clozapine - blood; Clozapine - therapeutic use; Consensus; Diabetes Mellitus - chemically induced; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Humans; Hyperlipidemias - chemically induced; Medical sciences; Neuropharmacology; Neutropenia - chemically induced; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Population Surveillance; Psycholeptics: tranquillizer, neuroleptic; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Psychotic Disorders - drug therapy; Toxicity: blood; Weight Gain - drug effects; Australia; Oceania; Human; Hematology; Neuroleptic; Psychotropic; Toxicity; Cardiovascular disease; Metabolic diseases; Review; Clozapine; Pharmacovigilance; D2 Dopamine receptor; Heart disease; Antagonist
• ISSN: 1172-7047; 1179-1934
• DOI: 10.2165/00023210-200721020-00003

Clozapine is an important antipsychotic agent that has a unique profile of clinical benefits, but that has also been associated with several serious and potentially life-threatening safety concerns. In order to minimise the impact of haematological adverse events, health professionals treating patients with clozapine are currently required to register their patients on a centrally administered data network and to conform to strict protocols. The consensus statement documented in this article extends existing protocols by recommending monitoring of patients treated with clozapine for additional adverse effects during treatment. This consensus statement reflects the current practice at five major public psychiatric hospitals in Victoria, Australia, for the monitoring and management of clozapine-related adverse events, and has been implemented at these sites because of emerging safety concerns associating clozapine with cardiovascular and metabolic adverse effects.