WHAT DETERMINES STEADY STATE?

Steady state levels are determined by dose, dosing interval, clearance and bioavailability as shown in the equation below. (Where does this equation come from?)

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Bioavailability is a property of a particular drug and cannot be altered.

Similarly, the clearance of a patient is a characteristic of that patient and cannot be altered by medical staff.

However, medical staff can change the dose and dosing interval. The steady state plasma concentration is therefore determined by the dose and dosing interval. For example, increasing the dose will increase the steady state concentration, while increasing the dosing interval will decrease the steady state concentration.

By changing the dose and dosing interval, you will be able to raise and lower the steady state plasma concentration as needed.