OPTIC Tool: offering Patients therapeutic information on clozapine

OPTIC is a shared decision-making tool for healthcare professionals to discuss options around clozapine. Patients living with schizophrenia often have an inadequate clinical response and less favorable functional outcome and therefore it is important for physicians to use the most effective treatment possible. Although clozapine has proven its benefits for treatment resistant schizophrenia (TRS), it is still only prescribed in 20-50% of eligible patients. The purpose of the OPTIC Tool is to guide physicians on the important information to discuss when offering clozapine to their patients. The objective is for clozapine to be offered systematically to all people with TRS (not only early psychosis) as soon as they become eligible. This tool can facilitate a positive offer and increase acceptance of clozapine by patients.

​

Author: Dr Howard Margolese