| Abstract: | Basic concepts of clinical pharmacokinetics and principles of therapeutic drug monitoring are discussed. Pharmacokinetic variables such as volume of distribution, clearance, and half-life describe drug disposition in the body; in individual patients, these values may vary substantially. Serum concentrations of drugs may be influenced by numerous factors, such as route of administration, bioavailability, tissue distribution, and clearance. Therapeutic drug monitoring is designed to individualize drug dosages to achieve steady-state concentrations within a range of values that correlates well with patient response. An understanding of clinical pharmacokinetics and drug monitoring facilitates interpretation of serum concentrations in individual patients. |
