ABSTRACT
The treatment of epilepsy is one of the areas where therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) has made the most significant contributions. Determination of serum concentrations of the antiepileptic drugs phenobarbital and phenytoin came into routine use soon after the development of sensitive and reliable analytical methods in the 1960s. Monitoring of antiepileptic drugs such as carbamazepine, valproate, and ethosuximide has since then also become widely accepted in clinical practice. However, due to indiscriminate overuse, TDM as such has attracted criticism.1,2 To promote more appropriate use, the International League Against Epilepsy has issued guidelines for monitoring of antiepileptic drugs,3 and many independent experts have also published reviews and position papers on the topic in recent years.4-9 Several new antiepileptic drugs have, however, been licensed during the last decade, and the value of monitoring the new antiepileptic drugs is presently under debate.
