Current status and usefulness of therapeutic drug monitoring implementation of theophylline in elderly patients based on a nationwide database study and modeling approach

Theophylline is used in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but readily causes symptoms of intoxication and exhibits high risks in elderly patients. However, there have only been a few recent reports on the significance of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) implementation, especially in elderly patients. To examine the usefulness of theophylline TDM, we evaluated the current status of prescriptions containing theophylline and its side effects and assessed the influence of aging, sex, drug formulation, and concurrent drugs use on theophylline exposure using data from various nationwide databases and a pharmacokinetic modeling approach.