ISSN 2326-7267
International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology ISSN: 2326-7267 Vol. 3 (2), pp. 154-159, February, 2014. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Therapeutic drug monitoring: An overview of commonly monitored drugs
Nwobodo Ndubuisi N
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria.
E-mail: [email protected]
Accepted 07 January, 2014
Abstract
Therapeutic drug monitoring is relevant in individualizing drug therapy, optimizing clinical response and reducing incidence of adverse effects. The use of many effective drugs in clinical practice is limited due to narrow therapeutic window, necessitating individualization of treatment within the framework of therapeutic drug monitoring. Therapeutic drug monitoring is an effective tool for quality assurance in clinical practice, more so for optimizing therapy. Drugs for which therapeutic drug monitoring is indicated constitute only a fraction of drugs in current use. There are clear indications and specific characteristics of drugs for which therapeutic drug monitoring may be required, most especially drugs with very low therapeutic index such as anticonvulsants, cardioactive drugs, antineoplastic drugs, antiasthmatic drugs, immunosuppressants, antidepressant drugs, antibiotics, antiretroviral drugs and antimycobacterial drugs. Hence, the goal of an ideal therapeutic drug monitoring service can be readily achieved by ensuring cautious selection of appropriate drugs and techniques that are cost-effective, highly sensitive/specific and guarantees clinical benefits to the patient.
Key words: Adverse drug reaction, clinical practice, common, drug therapy, overview, therapeutic drug monitoring, therapeutic index.