[Monitoring of medication in optimalization of preoral theophylline in long-term care]

A narrow therapeutic index, considerable interpatients variability of clearance and biotransformation, rapid alterations of pharmacokinetics point out theophylline to a problem-drug. An effective long-term treatment with this drug is only possible with retard-preparations. For a certain therapy a drug monitoring-controlling the theophylline-concentration in the serum--is necessary, in what extend and under which conditions is discussed in detail.