Therapeutic Drug Mentoring (TDM)

In order to determine the best individual dose during a treatment with psychotropic drugs, we conduct a so-called Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM). Blood is taken regularly and the concentration of the active substance in the blood is measured. Our department has the largest TDM laboratory in Bavaria and analyzes over 50000 samples per year.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring – what does it entail?

The treatment of mental disorders often requires the use of medication. However, each person has his or her own preconditions which cause the metabolism of active substances in the body to progress at different rates. Influencing factors for the concentration of active substances in the blood are, for example, body weight, kidney excretion capacity, metabolic performance of the liver or additional illnesses and the intake of other drugs.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) is used to determine the optimal dose for each individual by controlling the blood level, i.e. the concentration of active ingredients in the blood. This helps to prevent underdoses with insufficient effect or overdoses with severe side effects and to precisely achieve the desired target value.

TDM laboratory

The Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at the University Hospital of Würzburg is equipped with a state-of-the-art laboratory for determining the concentration of active ingredients for a wide range of psychotropic drugs. Certificates from supervisory control authorities are issued at regular intervals in accordance with strict guidelines, certifying compliance with the specifications and ensuring quality. Every year, the laboratory performs around 50,000 analyses, not only from our own department, but also on behalf of doctors in private practice or other psychiatric hospitals. Samples for analyzing the blood level in children and adolescents are sent in from all over Germany, Austria and Switzerland.