A Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) program was begun at the Baptist Hospital in November, 1985. Since that time over 1,700 requests for serum drug concentration(SDC) determination, analysis, and interpretation have been received. This program is supervised by the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Committee, a sub-committee of the Drug Committee.
Members of the committee include Dr. Kenneth Chang (clinical pathology), Dr. Soon Chul Hwang(internal medicine), Dr. Hong Bae Kim(pediatrice), Dr. Kwang Soeb Park(neurosurgery) and Dr. Charles Sands(pharmacy). Therapeutic Drug Monitoring(TDM) is an effective aid to clinicians in achieving optimal treatment with selected therapeutic agents. A serum drug determination, collected at the proper time and interpreted in the proper pharmacokinetic and clinical context, is a major step toward individualizing dosages for many drugs. Many factors must be considered when interpreting serum drug concentrations, since each patient has specific characteristics(e.g., genotype, coexisting disease, concomitant drug therapy, etc.) that may affect drug levels. The relationship between drug dosage and resulting concentrations in serum will also be influenced by such factors as the bioavailability of the dosage form used, patient body size, distribution through fluid compartments, and individual metabolic and excretion rates.
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