Simulated drug plasma concentration over time curves following IV infusion and multiple oral doses. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Historically, healthcare organizations have followed the lead of published research on the efficacy of pharmacokinetic (PK) models to support point-of-care precision dosing. When a respected journal publishes a robust, peer-validated PK model analysis, clinicians often heed the results and accept that model as their organization’s default for the drug in question. However, new research shows that PK models require frequent reassessment and reevaluation — and that their utility may vary significantly depending on the site. In short, large-scale findings might not apply to an individual hospital’s patient population.
Let’s look at vancomycin, a drug commonly associated with model-informed precision dosing (MIPD). In 2020, a new consensus guideline for the therapeutic monitori…