Prescribing clozapine with confidence: APNA Annual Conference Preview
With the end of the clozapine REMS last year, a change in which APNA played a part, nurses with prescriptive authority now have fewer obstacles to prescribing clozapine. But are they able to prescribe clozapine with confidence?
This fall at the APNA 40th Annual Conference, presenters Brayden Kameg, PhD, DNP, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP, CNE, FAAN, FIAAN, and Rezvaneh Manzour, MSN, BSN, will present their session “Clozapine Knowledge, Confidence, and Prescribing Practices Among Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses: Results of a National Study.”
“We know that clozapine is the gold standard for treatment-refractory schizophrenia,” Kameg said. “Yet it remains underutilized, and many psychiatric nurses describe feeling unprepared to prescribe clozapine.”
Kameg is also something of an expert on the APNA Annual Conference. This isn’t her first — it’s her 10th. She attended her first as an APNA Board of Directors Student Scholar.
“That was a transformative conference for me, one that solidified my interest in and engagement with the organization,” she said. “Over the last ten years, I’ve enjoyed attending APNA conferences, networking, and collaborating with other APNA members”
Clozapine with confidence, from the presenter’s perspective
Kameg says the Saturday session will go beyond a study on clozapine underutilization and include clinical examples, practical strategies, and interactive opportunities to ensure providers make the connections they need to translate findings into practice. “We hope to bolster prescribers’ confidence,” she said.
APNA: Your session will highlight why clozapine is underutilized. What do you see as the top reasons for that?
Kameg: Historically, clozapine prescribing was regulated by the Food and Drug Administration Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. While the clozapine REMS program was initially developed and implemented to promote patient safety, it ultimately imposed logistical and regulatory burdens on clinicians and pharmacists, serving as a deterrent to prescribers, and thus reducing access to clozapine for patients with schizophrenia. We know that clozapine is the gold standard for treatment-refractory schizophrenia, yet it remains underutilized, and many psychiatric nurses describe feeling unprepared to prescribe clozapine.
APNA: What do you most want clinicians to understand about prescribing clozapine?
Kameg: Clozapine is one tool in our toolbox for treating patients with schizophrenia, but [is an essential tool] for treatment-refractory schizophrenia. While clozapine requires close monitoring and clinical oversight, it can be used safely in a variety of clinical practice settings and can be a life-changing intervention for those with severe mental illness.
Published August 2026
✦ Join Your People. Renew Your Purpose. ✦ Strengthen Your Care. ✦ The APNA Annual Conference gathers thousands of psychiatric-mental health nurses together and is curated to support the crucial work you do. This October 28-31, surround yourself with nurses from all settings and practice levels ready to learn, connect, and collaborate. And earn up to 115+ ANCC NCPD contact hours live and on demand.
