Acceptable sampling times at plateau for drug analysis.

1 Two methods of estimating the average plasma drug concentration at plateau Cav are considered. 2 Given an acceptable error in the estimate of Cav, a range of sampling times, rather than a single time, during the dosing interval, can be calculated. This range depends on the variability of the half‐life within the patient population, the dosing interval, the error in assay measurement and the therapeutic index of the drug. 3 When the minimum plasma drug concentration is monitored, an estimate of the individual's half‐life is needed, unless the dosing interval is short. Then the population half‐life may be used to obtain a reasonable estimate of Cav.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1981.tb01290.x

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