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Pharmacopsychiatry 2015; 48(06): 200-204
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1555939
Original Paper
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Clozapine Prescription and Quality of Life in Chinese Patients with Schizophrenia Treated in Primary Care

C.-L. Hou   *
1   Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong General Hospital & Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangdong Province, China
,
M.-Y. Cai   *
2   Guangzhou Yuexiu Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangdong Province, China
,
X.-R. Ma   *
3   Ningxia Mental Health Center, Ningxia Ning-An Hospital, Ningxia Province, China
,
Y. Zang
4   Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Psychological Healthcare & Shenzhen Institute of Mental Health, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
,
F.-J. Jia
1   Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong General Hospital & Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangdong Province, China
,
Y.-Q. Lin
1   Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong General Hospital & Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangdong Province, China
,
H. F. K. Chiu
5   Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
,
G. S. Ungvari
6   The University of Notre Dame Australia/Marian Centre, Perth, Australia
7   School of Psychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
,
C. H. Ng
8   Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
,
B.-L. Zhong
5   Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
,
X.-L. Cao
4   Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Psychological Healthcare & Shenzhen Institute of Mental Health, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
,
Y. Li
5   Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
,
N. Shinfuku
9   International Center for Medical Research, School of Medicine, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
,
Y.-T. Xiang
10   Unit of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 16 April 2015
revised 04 June 2015

accepted 02 July 2015

Publication Date:
05 August 2015 (online)

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Abstract

Objective: Clozapine is frequently used to treat schizophrenia in China. Maintenance treatment for clinically stable patients with schizophrenia is usually provided by Chinese primary care physicians, but no study has investigated the frequency of its use prescribed by primary care physicians. This study described the frequency, demographic and clinical characteristics of clozapine treatment and its impact on insight and quality of life (QOL) of patients with schizophrenia treated in primary care in China.

Method: A total of 623 patients with schizophrenia treated in 22 primary care services in Guangzhou, China in 2013 formed the study sample. Patients’ socio-demographic and clinical characteristics including psychopathology, medication side effects and QOL were recorded using a standardized protocol and data collection.

Results: The frequency of clozapine prescription was 35.6% with a mean daily dose of 127.7±88.2 mg. There were no significant differences between the patients with and without clozapine in either of the QOL domains after controlling the confounding factors. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that patients on clozapine had younger age of onset, more hospitalizations, more severe extrapyramidal side effects, but better insight and fewer prescriptions of first generation antipsychotics.

Conclusions: Clozapine use was found to be common and associated with better insight in patients with schizophrenia treated in primary care in China. Further examination of the rationale and appropriateness of clozapine in primary care in China is warranted.

Key words

schizophrenia - clozapine - primary care - China

* These authors contributed equally to the paper.


 

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