Polypharmacy in clozapine‐treated patients

Abstract

Clozapine has been the primary atypical antipsychotic agent used for managing patients with treatment‐resistant schizophrenia. Despite clozapine s efficacy, its usefulness is limited by the occurrence of significant side effects, including neutropenia and agranulocytosis in 1% to 2% of treated patients. Other side effects are also often reported with long‐term use, including metabolic effects such as weight gain, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia; cardiopulmonary effects such as tachycardia and pneumonia; and patient complaints of hypersalivation. The occurrence of one or more of these side effects might necessitate the initiation of concurrent medications for pharmacological management, and the potential of drug‐drug interaction.