Sertraline Administration Timing
Sertraline can be taken at any time of day without regard to meals—there is no required time interval between eating and taking the medication.
Food Does Not Affect Sertraline Absorption
- The bioavailability and elimination of sertraline are not influenced by administration with or without food. 1
- Sertraline offers complete flexibility for morning or evening administration in either the fasting or nonfasting state. 1
- There were no significant differences in area under the curve (AUC), peak plasma concentration, time to peak, or elimination half-life whether sertraline was taken with or without food. 1
Timing Flexibility Throughout the Day
- Sertraline may be administered at any time of the day as a single daily dose. 2
- The time of administration (morning versus evening) does not affect sertraline's pharmacokinetics. 1
- Peak plasma concentrations occur at 6-8 hours after oral administration regardless of timing. 3
Practical Dosing Considerations
- The elimination half-life of approximately 26-32 hours makes sertraline suitable for once-daily administration. 4, 3
- Steady state is reached after approximately 7 days of consistent dosing. 3
- The starting dose of 50 mg daily is the usually effective therapeutic dose for most patients with depression. 2
Common Pitfall to Avoid
- Do not instruct patients to take sertraline only with food or only on an empty stomach—this creates unnecessary restrictions that may reduce adherence without providing any pharmacokinetic benefit. 1