ASHP statement on the pharmacist's role in clinical pharmacokinetic monitoring.

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) believes that clinical pharmacokinetic monitoring is a fundamental responsibility of all pharmacists providing pharmaceutical care. Clinical pharmacokinetic monitoring is an integral component of pharmaceutical care for selected patients based on their specific pharmacotherapy, disease states and related factors, and treatment goals. ASHP believes that clinical pharmacokinetic monitoring is essential to achieving positive outcomes for these patients across the continuum of care and in all practice settings of health systems. Examples of such outcomes include decreased mortality, decreased length of treatment, decreased length of hospital stay, decreased morbidity (either improved symptoms of disease or improved recuperation), and decreased adverse effects from drug therapy.