Table 1.

The objectives for the five phases of monitoring

Phase	Monitoring objectives	Optimal interval
Pretreatment	Check need for treatment Establish a baseline for determining response and change	Short—based on variability within patients
Initial titration	Assess individual response to treatment Assess immediate adverse effects Achieve control	Medium—based on pharmacokinetics (such as drug half life) and pharmacodynamics (physiological impact time) (wash-in)
Maintenance	Detect drift from control limits Detect long term harms	Long—based on rate of random and systematic “drift”
Re-establish control	Bring level back within control limits	Medium—as above
Cessation	Check safety of cessation	Medium—as above