Dried blood microsampling, originating in the newborn screening field, and also currently routinely applied in preclinical (animal) studies in the pharmaceutical industry, is increasingly receiving attention in the field of clinical chemistry. Many dried blood spot (DBS)-based methods have been developed for a variety of applications; for example, phenotyping, therapeutic drug monitoring, doping analysis and toxicology.

Despite the numerous advantages, there are several drawbacks and limitations for implementing dried blood microsampling in (clinical) routine. The past years have witnessed multiple methodological and technological developments that have helped to move the field forward; however, despite many advances, and despite a multitude of applications demonstrating the feasibility of dried blood microsampling for, e.g., therapeutic drug monitoring purposes, widespread implementation of dried blood microsampling in routine clinical care is still lagging behind.

This presentation will provide an overview of the distinct requirements for routine implementation of dried blood microsampling.

Of specific interested for people involved in clinical trials, epidemiological studies or longitudinal patient follow-up.