Significance of NSAID serum to response relationships

NSAIDs are given to patients to obtain a therapeutic benefit, and a "therapeutic serum concentration range" would be useful. To define the therapeutic range requires a specific assay, knowledge of the active moiety, confidence that the action of the drug is rapid and reversible, examination of the relationship at kinetic equilibrium, careful and innovative ways to measure clinical response, and elimination of as many potential interfering interactions as possible. When defined, the therapeutic range can help clinicians develop dosing aimed at a usual concentration for response, help define toxicity, and help determine compliance.