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 was established simultaneously with the Institute of Clinical Pharmacology based at the university hospital in Magdeburg. The combination of therapeutic drug monitoring and a drug information service including individual patient-oriented drug dosage and bedside consultation permits an effective support of the treatment of drug related therapeutic problems. Currently, the service 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: pharmacokinetics/metabolism/analytical problems (38%), adverse drug reactions/drug safety (24%), therapeutic drug use/drug indication (21%) and pharmaceuticals (9%). Further activities of the institute refer to teaching of undergraduates, continuing education of local physicians in recent aspects of drug therapy, providing therapeutic bulletins and conducting supporting clinical studies.