[THERE IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: THE RATE OF CLOZAPINE USE AMONG PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA IN ISRAEL].

BACKGROUND:About a third of schizophrenia patients would not have sufficient clinical response to antipsychotic treatment. The only drug approved for this population is clozapine, yet worldwide reports suggest underuse of clozapine and significant delay in initiating treatment. OBJECTIVES:To assess, for the first time in Israel, the rate of clozapine use in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS:A retrospective cohort study of "Clalit Health Services" electronic records was conducted. People diagnosed with schizophrenia (F.20 ICD 10 code) who had at least one prescription filled for clozapine were followed up between 2012 and 2014. RESULTS:Of 28,983 people diagnosed with schizophrenia, clozapine was prescribed and purchased by 1817 (6.5%) patients during the study period. In addition, 60% of patients with clozapine had polytherapy with other antipsychotic compound or lithium. Polytherapy was associated with HR of 2.1 for morality during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS:Clozapine is underutilized in Israel, similar to reports from other countries. Moreover, the data suggests that when treatment is given it is not optimized, as reflected by high rates of polytherapy associated with increased mortality. Using therapeutic drug monitoring, now available in Israel, for clozapine might increase clozapine dosage optimization.