Estimating Clozapine's Cost to the Nation
Abstract
Clozapine, an effective but expensive drug treatment for patients with severe, chronic schizophrenia who are unresponsive to conventional antipsychotics, is associated with a high risk of agranulocytosis, which is sometimes fatal. Weekly blood tests to detect evidence of this side effect are required. To estimate the number of potential candidates for this treatment and the national cost of administering the drug to this population, the authors used data from three recent patient surveys conducted in New York State. Depending on the criteria used to exclude unsuitable candidates, between 133,000 and 189,000 individuals will be eligible for treatment with clozapine nationally at a cost of $1.2 to $1.7 billion annually.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).
