Therapeutic drug monitoring
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Although risperidone is commonly used in the acute and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia, the role of therapeutic drug monitoring has yet to be elucidated. The purpose of this review was to determine whether risperidone warrants therapeutic drug monitoring in patients with schizophrenia. ⋯ The routine use of risperidone levels does not seem warranted in all patients with schizophrenia. Clinical end points (ie, response and toxicity) should be monitored by assessing changes in symptoms and emergence of adverse effects, especially extrapyramidal symptoms. Therapeutic drug monitoring of risperidone may be beneficial in certain circumstances, including assessing potential noncompliance and supporting compliance, ruling out therapeutic failure as a result of low drug concentrations, and identifying and managing drug interactions, adverse effects, and use in special populations.