What is the purpose of pretreatment laboratory work?

The purpose of pretreatment laboratory work is to conduct tests before starting a new medication. This initial assessment helps healthcare providers establish a baseline for various physiological parameters, which is crucial for identifying pre-existing conditions, determining the appropriateness of the treatment, and anticipating potential side effects or interactions. By gathering this information, clinicians can make more informed decisions regarding the medication prescribed and ensure that the patient is a suitable candidate for the therapy.

While monitoring ongoing treatments and evaluating long-term outcomes are important in the overall management of a patient's care, these actions typically occur after the initiation of therapy rather than before. Assessing patient compliance is also not the primary goal of pretreatment laboratory work; instead, this focus is primarily on understanding the patient's current health status prior to treatment.