Our group response to The Times article on Clozapine dated 08/01/24
Dear Sirs
In response to your article 08 January 2024, we are very saddened by the number of deaths and have deepest sympathy for the families. We are a group of carers in the UK who have loved ones currently taking clozapine. Through lived experience we know that clozapine is the only antipsychotic medication that has helped our loved ones and given hope for any meaningful recovery. We believe the guidelines for administering clozapine are outdated and inadequate, despite current research and evidence for improvement they remain unchanged, this urgently needs to be addressed. There is significant surveillance bias with clozapine and a prejudice perception attached to its use, it seems the life saving benefits of this medication tend to be overlooked. We would like to emphasise the importance of listening to and including families involved in patients care as we are often ignored, leading to catastrophic events that could be avoided. The care of mental health patients is woefully inadequate in many cases, this needs to change. We are currently petitioning for improvements with the use of clozapine in the UK, please see link to our open letter Improve the use of Clozapine in the UK.
We welcome your comments.
Yours faithfully
Clozapine Support Group UK
Comentários