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Enforcing treatment with clozapine: survey of views and practice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Stephen Pereira ,
Dominic Beer  and
Carol Paton
Stephen Pereira*
Affiliation:
Oxleas NHS Trust, Arsenal Locality CMHC, 132 Powis Street, Woolwich SE18 6NL
Dominic Beer
Affiliation:
Oxleas NHS Trust, Arsenal Locality CMHC, 132 Powis Street, Woolwich SE18 6NL
Carol Paton
Affiliation:
Oxleas NHS Trust, Arsenal Locality CMHC, 132 Powis Street, Woolwich SE18 6NL
*
∗Correspondence
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Abstract

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Aim and method

The aim of the study was to survey strategies for dealing with patients who refuse clozapine blood tests or tablets. One hundred and twenty-five psychiatric intensive care unit consultants were sent a questionnaire.

Results

Thirty-nine (31%) questionnaires were returned. Opinions and practices were diverse ranging from uncertainty around the legal right to enforce venepuncture, to the practice of slipping clozapine into a patient's drink without their knowledge.

Clinical implications

There is need for an open debate of the relevant legal and ethical issues.

Type
Original papers
Information
Psychiatric Bulletin , Volume 23 , Issue 6 , June 1999 , pp. 342 - 345
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

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