Drug Testing: Each individual’s brain and body chemistry are different and thus the tolerance for drugs is different. It is difficult to predict the effect that a drug can have on a human being especially if it is administered the first time, even if it is a small amount or dose.
Drugs of Abuse: Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. Depending on the actual compound, drug abuse it may lead to health problems, social problems, accidents, physical dependence or psychological addiction, etc. And hence testing plays an importance in this case too.
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Therapeutic drug monitoring is the measurement of specific drugs at timed intervals in order to maintain a relatively constant concentration of the medication in the bloodstream. For some drugs, maintaining a steady state is not as simple as giving a standard dose of medication. Each person will absorb, metabolize, utilize, and eliminate drugs at different rates based upon their age, general state of health, genetic makeup, and the interference of other medications that they are taking. Many of the drugs that are monitored therapeutically are taken for a lifetime and need to be mapped through life events such as pregnancies, temporary illnesses, infections, emotional and physical stresses, accidents, and surgeries. Over time, patients may acquire other chronic conditions (cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, etc.) that also require lifetime medication and that may affect the processing of their monitored drugs. Hence the monitoring of such drugs plays a key role in the medication.
Immunosuppressive Drug Testing
Immunosuppression is characterized by the reduction in the effectiveness of the immune system’s response to foreign substances. This can be the result of diseases such as AIDs and cancer, or therapies including immunosuppressive drugs, radiation or splenectomy – representing a case where testing is essential. |
