Biomaterial Database

[Monitoring of therapy using drug concentration levels: Why? When? How?]. 1990

S Vozeh

Medizinische Abteilung, Interkantonale Kontrollstelle für Heilmittel, Bern.

Serum concentration measurements represent a tool that can help the physician to choose the optimal dose in an individual patient. Its application has been recommended for several drugs that show a narrow therapeutic range and for which the dose cannot be individually adjusted directly on the basis of the therapeutic effect. For an effective use of his therapeutic tool, it is important to observe the following three points: 1. The dosage history must be known, including patient's compliance. 2. Whenever possible, the measurement should be obtained after steady-state has been reached on a constant dosing regimen (four half-lives of the drug). The dose adjustment in steady-state is very simple: The concentration changes are for most drugs proportional to the changes in dose rate. 3. The dose adjustment should never be performed on the basis of the concentration measurement alone, but always in the context of the clinical conditions and the patient's response.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010349	Patient Compliance	Voluntary cooperation of the patient in following a prescribed regimen.	Client Adherence,Client Compliance,Non-Adherent Patient,Patient Adherence,Patient Cooperation,Patient Noncompliance,Patient Non-Adherence,Patient Non-Compliance,Patient Nonadherence,Therapeutic Compliance,Treatment Compliance,Adherence, Client,Adherence, Patient,Client Compliances,Compliance, Client,Compliance, Patient,Compliance, Therapeutic,Compliance, Treatment,Cooperation, Patient,Non Adherent Patient,Non-Adherence, Patient,Non-Adherent Patients,Non-Compliance, Patient,Nonadherence, Patient,Noncompliance, Patient,Patient Non Adherence,Patient Non Compliance,Patient, Non-Adherent,Therapeutic Compliances,Treatment Compliances
D010599	Pharmacokinetics	Dynamic and kinetic mechanisms of exogenous chemical DRUG LIBERATION; ABSORPTION; BIOLOGICAL TRANSPORT; TISSUE DISTRIBUTION; BIOTRANSFORMATION; elimination; and DRUG TOXICITY as a function of dosage, and rate of METABOLISM. LADMER, ADME and ADMET are abbreviations for liberation, absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, and toxicology.	ADME,ADME-Tox,ADMET,Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Elimination, and Toxicology,Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Elimination,Drug Kinetics,Kinetics, Drug,LADMER,Liberation, Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Elimination, and Response
D004358	Drug Therapy	The use of DRUGS to treat a DISEASE or its symptoms. One example is the use of ANTINEOPLASTIC AGENTS to treat CANCER.	Chemotherapy,Pharmacotherapy,Therapy, Drug,Chemotherapies,Drug Therapies,Pharmacotherapies,Therapies, Drug
D004364	Pharmaceutical Preparations	Drugs intended for human or veterinary use, presented in their finished dosage form. Included here are materials used in the preparation and/or formulation of the finished dosage form.	Drug,Drugs,Pharmaceutical,Pharmaceutical Preparation,Pharmaceutical Product,Pharmaceutic Preparations,Pharmaceutical Products,Pharmaceuticals,Preparations, Pharmaceutical,Preparation, Pharmaceutical,Preparations, Pharmaceutic,Product, Pharmaceutical,Products, Pharmaceutical
D006207	Half-Life	The time it takes for a substance (drug, radioactive nuclide, or other) to lose half of its pharmacologic, physiologic, or radiologic activity.	Halflife,Half Life,Half-Lifes,Halflifes
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man