dosed

Dosed is the past tense and past participle of dose. In medicine and pharmacology, to dose means to administer a measured amount of a drug or other therapeutic substance to a patient. The dose is often described using units such as milligrams, milliliters, international units, or units per body weight, and it depends on factors including age, body weight, organ function, and the condition being treated. Dosing regimens specify the scheduling of doses (how often) and the total amount to be administered over a course of therapy. In clinical documentation, a patient may be described as having been dosed with a particular agent, or as requiring a dose adjustment if responses or adverse effects occur.

Dosed also appears in colloquial usage to describe the act of taking a drug, particularly recreational or illicit substances. In such usage, precision is often lacking and it can imply non-prescribed or unsafe dosing. In more formal medical contexts, dosing aims to balance efficacy and safety and is guided by pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic considerations, along with clinical guidelines.

Risks associated with improper dosing include toxicity, ineffective treatment, and adverse interactions with other substances. In cases of suspected overdose, emergency medical care is required, and treatment depends on the substance involved.

See also: Dose, Dosing, Therapeutic drug monitoring, Overdose.