[Drug monitoring in neurology (author's transl)]

Medication and side-effects were investigated in 115 hospitalized epileptic patients. General side-effects were registered in 12.7%, however, only 5.6% were obviously drug-induced. Supposing that 8 anticonvulsive drugs are used frequently, then, 256 combinations of these drugs could occur. In order to obtain relevant results on the comparative frequency of adverse drug reactions for any of these combinations, a population of at least 8000 patients should have to be monitored. Further difficulties arise as regards the expected probability of the coincidence of adverse drug reactions and the frequency of a special medication.