Ethnic Neutropenia and Clozapine

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present paper was to examine the concept of benign ethnic neutropenia and to consider the implications of ethnicity in the current clozapine regulatory system. METHOD: The case of a young Palestinian man who lost access to clozapine due to a fall in his neutrophil count, is presented herein, and a brief review of ethnic variations in neutrophil levels is given. RESULTS: This patient's clozapine was ceased, with unfortunate consequences, despite his having normal immune function. CONCLUSION: By using normative haematological data established in white populations, the Australian clozapine regulatory system places some non-white patients at a considerable disadvantage.