Finger prick test allows patients taking autoimmune drug to avoid blood draws

A new study shows that patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions who take the drug adalimumab can monitor drug levels in their bodies with a finger prick rather than undergoing a full blood draw.

This method offers the opportunity to simplify therapeutic drug monitoring of adalimumab.

"Easy home sampling at different time points will benefit patients and could help to prescribe biologics optimally," said Dr. Karien Bloem, senior author of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology study.