Elizabeth Dodds-Ashley, PharmD, MHS, at the Department of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, discusses key points to consider when deciding what drug dosage to prescribe to a patient.
Elizabeth Dodds-Ashley, PharmD, MHS, at the Department of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, discusses key points to consider when deciding what drug dosage to prescribe to a patient.
Interview Transcript (slightly modified for readability)
“I think [that] for front-line providers, [at] the time of writing [a] prescription, there are several important things to consider. What is the renal function or the liver function [of] the drug that we are giving to this patient? What is the best drug [for] this patient that is going to minimize toxicities (if that is possible)?
Also, [it is important] to be sure that we’re dosing [the drug] in a way that will maximize effectiveness. For some drugs that is giving more frequent doses [rather] than lumping a whole dose together once a day. For others, we can optimize [bacterial] killing by giving drugs less frequently in higher doses and giving [the patient] drug-free intervals to minimize [drug] toxicity.
Having an understanding of the drugs you use and how they work is the best way that we can [ensure] that patients are getting the right doses for all of their individual circumstances. There really is no ‘one size fits all’ antibiotic dose for our patients.”
Stay ahead of emerging infectious disease threats with expert insights and breaking research. Subscribe now to get updates delivered straight to your inbox.