The tables below show the monitoring requirements of common drugs. It should be noted these are basic guidelines and do not relate to monitoring effectiveness of treatment (e.g. Checking lipids for patients taking a statin)
| Drug | Main monitoring parameters | Details of monitoring |
|---|---|---|
| Statins | LFT | LFTs at baseline, 3 months and 12 months |
| ACE inhibitors | U&E | U&E prior to treatment |
| U&E after increasing dose | ||
| U&E at least annually | ||
| Amiodarone | TFT, LFT | TFT, LFT, U&E, CXR prior to treatment |
| TFT, LFT every 6 months |
| Drug | Main monitoring parameters | Details of monitoring |
|---|---|---|
| Methotrexate | FBC, LFT, U&E | The Committee on Safety of Medicines recommend 'FBC and renal and LFTs before starting treatment and repeated weekly until therapy stabilised, thereafter patients should be monitored every 2-3 months' |
| Azathioprine | FBC, LFT | FBC, LFT before treatment |
| FBC weekly for the first 4 weeks | ||
| FBC, LFT every 3 months |
| Drug | Main monitoring parameters | Details of monitoring |
|---|---|---|
| Lithium | Lithium level, TFT, U&E | TFT, U&E prior to treatment |
| Lithium levels weekly until stabilised then every 3 months | ||
| TFT, U&E every 6 months | ||
| Sodium valproate | LFT | LFT, FBC before treatment |
| LFT 'periodically' during first 6 months |
| Drug | Main monitoring parameters | Details of monitoring |
|---|---|---|
| Glitazones | LFT | LFT before treatment |
| LFT 'regularly' during treatment |