FILL OUT TEST REQUEST FORM FULLY & LEGIBLY. DETAILED SPECIFIC HISTORY IS REQUIRED E.G. EXACT INDICATION FOR DRUG MONITORING, DRUG HISTORY (I.E. DOSE, ROUTE OF ADMINISTRATION, DURATION SINCE TREATMENT WAS STARTED OR DOSE ADJUSTED, CONCURRENT MEDICATION), HEIGHT, WEIGHT.
Patient preparation
SPECIFIC TIMING APPLIES I.E. COLLECT TROUGH (PRE-DOSE) SAMPLE.
Sample type
EDTA WHOLE BLOOD (MOST OF THE DRUG IS BOUND TO ERYTHROCYTES).
Container/ preservative
EDTA (PURPLE TOP) VACUTAINER.
Sample volume
AT LEAST 3ML EDTA WHOLE BLOOD.
Rejection criteria
LABELING ISSUE (UNLABELED/ MISLABELED); MISSING REQUEST FORM; MISMATCH BETWEEN REQUEST FORM & SAMPLE DETAILS; MISSING AGE/ GENDER; WRONG SAMPLE TYPE; INSUFFICIENT SAMPLE; MISSING HISTORY AS EXPOUNDED UNDER TEST ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS.
Other Instructions
NOT APPLICABLE.
Reference intervals
INTERPRETIVE DATA IS PROVIDED ON THE REPORT.
Clinical Utility
OPTIMIZE DRUG DOSAGE (TO AVOID SUBTHERAPEUTIC & TOXIC DOSES I.E. ENSURE TARGET THERAPEUTIC RANGE IS ACHIEVED); TO VERIFY COMPLIANCE. TACROLIMUS IS AN IMMUNOSUPPRESSANT DRUG USED IN SOLID ORGAN TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS.
Test Limitations/ Confounders
LEVELS ARE INFLUENCED BY DOSAGE REGIMEN, DRUG INTERACTIONS, INDIVIDUAL'S METABOLIZING CAPACITY, LIVER DYSFUNCTION.