Ethical and Clinical Considerations in Selecting Patients Who Will Receive Clozapine
Abstract
In a large state hospital population, more treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients may be clinically eligible to receive clozapine than the hospital can afford to pay for, given the costs of the medication and its mandatory monitoring system. The authors review clinical criteria for selecting patients and discuss two ethical principles that might be useful: select patients on the principle of providing the greatest good for the greatest number of patients (based on expected outcomes such as likelihood of discharge and benefit to the milieu) and give priority to patients for whom the fewest treatment alternatives are available. Issues such as family pressures for administration of clozapine to a relative must also be dealt with.
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.).
