Introduction to monitoring. What is what you prescribed actually doing?
BACKGROUND
Having written a prescription for the patient, it is important to monitor for the effects of the drug.


OBJECTIVE
This article discusses the importance of patient monitoring as part of the prescribing process, and in particular, what factors to monitor.


CONCLUSIONS
Monitoring of drug therapy is an important part of the prescribing process in enhancing the drug's effectiveness. This is partly due to the large variability in patient response to any given dose of a drug. The drug's effect as well as adverse effects should be actively sought, and dosage alterations made in order to enhance the drug's effect. In some cases, this involves directly monitoring for the drug's effects, and in other cases using surrogate markers.
Shakib
Sepehr
S
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Adelaide, South Australia.
George
Alison
A
D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D001241:Aspirin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001315:Australia; D000068579:Celecoxib; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D017328:Fosinopril / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011720:Pyrazoles; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use
D011720:Pyrazoles; D013449:Sulfonamides; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide; D000082:Acetaminophen; D000068579:Celecoxib; D001241:Aspirin; D017328:Fosinopril