Therapeutic drug monitoring for the 1990s: meeting the laboratory needs of a changing environment.

The need for monitoring serum and plasma concentrations for therapeutic drugs given to hospitalized and outpatients will continue to growth during the next few years, both in terms of the number of tests ordered each year and the number of different drugs that are monitored. The clinical laboratory will play an important role in implementing and maintaining accurate, cost-effective drug monitoring and treatment programs. To meet changing needs, further development and evaluation of automated analytical assays will be necessary.