Antiepileptic therapeutic drug monitoring.

The effort to employ therapeutic drug monitoring in the management of patients with convulsive disorders has been extremely successful. Fortunately, the drugs used by the majority of these patients are readily measured in plasma, and in most cases the plasma concentration is a valid measure of the appropriateness of the dosage of drug administered. Monitoring also helps to ensure patient compliance to drug schedules and allows appropriate adjustment of dosage in patients who are taking concomitant drugs that influence anticonvulsant drug levels. Accurate and reliable quantitative methodology is available to all laboratories, with the method of analysis selected reflecting the technical capabilities of the laboratory personnel.