What do you monitor with DMARDs?
It is well recognised that all patients taking DMARDs should have regular blood monitoring. Blood monitoring is ultimately the responsibility of the prescriber, i.e. the GP, but GPs usually expect this to be carried out in secondary care.
Which popular drug is prescribed by rheumatologists?
The most common DMARDs used to treat RA include: hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) leflunomide (Arava) methotrexate (Trexall)
What do you mean by drug therapy monitoring?
Therapeutic drug monitoring is the measurement of specific drugs and/or their breakdown products (metabolites) at timed intervals to maintain a relatively constant concentration of the medication in the blood.
What are rheumatic drugs?
Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are a group of medications commonly used in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Some of these drugs are also used in treating other conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
How do you monitor RA?
Imaging techniques, such as x-ray or ultrasound, can give insight into how active RA is, as well as checking for any signs of damage caused by the RA and other complications. People with RA will often require regular blood tests.
What should I monitor with methotrexate?
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) recommends monitoring with blood tests to check the liver enzymes alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase and levels of serum albumin, a protein made by the liver (every two to four weeks when you start MTX, every eight to 12 weeks in the third to six month of …
What is meloxicam used for?
Meloxicam is used to relieve pain, tenderness, swelling, and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis (arthritis caused by a breakdown of the lining of the joints) and rheumatoid arthritis (arthritis caused by swelling of the lining of the joints).
What are the steps in the drug monitoring process?
STEPS INVOLVED IN TARGET CONCENTRAYION STRATEGY 1) Select a target concentration 2) Predict clearance and volume of distribution values for the patient based on population pharmacokinetic parameters and observable individual characteristics(weight, renal function) 3) Calculate the loading dose and maintenance dose rate …
What drugs are commonly monitored?
The most commonly monitored drugs are probably carbamazepine, valproate and digoxin. However, there is little evidence that monitoring concentrations of anticonvulsants improves clinical outcomes when the drugs are used to treat mood disorders. Table 1shows some of the drugs that meet these criteria.
What is the safest drug for RA?
Hydroxychloroquine. Hydroxychloroquine is an antimalarial drug which is relatively safe and well-tolerated agent for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Chloroquine is another antimalarial agent that is also sometimes used.