Aims and method: We aimed to examine variations in clozapine prescribing in all 12 NHS trusts with catchment area mental health services in one English county, over a 2-year period. We tested a series of hypotheses to explain the variation in prescribing of clozapine. Results: A 34-fold variation between trusts in rates of clozapine provision was found after adjusting for measures of local population need. This variation did not change over the 2 years examined. It was not explained by differences in resource level. Clinical implications: The evidence base is strong for the effectiveness and likely cost-effectiveness of clozapine in severe schizophrenia. Our data indicate that variations in evidence-based clinical practice at the provider level led to the wide variation in clozapine prescribing.
CITATION STYLE
Purcell, H., & Lewis, S. (2000). Postcode prescribing in psychiatry: Clozapine in an English county. Psychiatric Bulletin, 24(11), 420–422. https://doi.org/10.1192/pb.24.11.420
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