The regional drug-therapy consultation service centre - a conception that has been serving patients and physicians alike for 30 years in Magdeburg (Germany)

Objectives: Thirty years ago, a drug therapy consultation service centre wa s established simultaneously with the Institute of Clinical Pharmacology ba sed at the university hospital in Magdeburg. The combination of therapeutic drug monitoring and a drug information service including individual patien t-oriented drug dosage and bedside consultation permits an effective suppor t of the treatment of drug related therapeutic problems. Currently, the ser vice offers drug monitoring for 161 drugs and additional 46 metabolites. Methods and discussion: In a representative 2-year period (1997-1998), drug monitoring was performed for 6293 patients, and 569 drug-related inquiries were answered. The main categories of required drug information were: phar macokinetics/metabolism/analytical problems (38%), adverse drug reactions/d rug safety (24%), therapeutic drug use/drug indication (21%) and pharmaceut icals (9%). Further activities of the institute refer to teaching of underg raduates, continuing education of local physicians in recent aspects of dru g therapy, providing therapeutic bulletins and conducting supporting clinic al studies.