Clozapine remains the only medication approved for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. But underuse is the norm. In 2010, the New York State Office of Mental Health began a multifaceted initiative to promote the evidence-based use of clozapine. From 2009 to 2013, in the absence of a well-funded pharmaceutical marketing campaign, the proportion of new clozapine trials among all new outpatient antipsychotic trials increased 40% among adult New York Medicaid recipients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The largest gains occurred in state-operated clinics. New York's experience demonstrates the feasibility of making clozapine more accessible to patients who stand to benefit most.

This comparison of CR in clinical and research sites highlights the decrease in referrals, enrollment and utilization that occurs when a program moves from a highly controlled setting to the real world. Still, the acceptability, fill rates and utilization indicated that CR can be successfully implemented in large scale, geographically diverse, publically funded clinic settings.

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