Proper use of clozapine: experiences in China

doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1002-0829.2012.02.006 Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing,China *Correspondence: [email protected] According to surveys conducted in ten provinces and independent municipalities in China, clozapine is the most commonly used antipsychotic medication in the country. These surveys reported that it was administered to 39.0% of all patients taking antipsychotic medication in 2002 and to 31.7% of all patients taking antipsychotics in 2006. With the advent and marketing of newer antipsychotic medications there has been as steady decline in the use of clozapine over the last two decades, a decline that is particularly noticeable in major cities and in other economically developed areas. However, clozapine remains the drug of choice for patients with schizophrenia in remote and economically less developed areas.