Vancomycin therapeutic drug monitoring: is there a consensus view? The results of a UK National External Quality Assessment Scheme (UK NEQAS) for Antibiotic Assays questionnaire

This study investigated vancomycin therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) and issues related to patient management. Questionnaires were distributed to 310 participants in the UK National External Quality Assessment Scheme (NEQAS) for Antibiotic Assays. The response rate was 57.4%. The majority (76%) had an ‘in-house’ assay service based, almost exclusively, in the microbiology department, and a fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) was used by 97%. Almost half (48.7%) had an assay service available for 24 h/day, 7 days/week and 92.7% expected same-day results. The majority (80%) had issued guidelines for vancomycin use. A 12 hourly initial dosing regimen was used by 89%. Trough assay samples were taken