Anticoagulation Services

Anticoagulant medications, including warfarin and Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs), are to treat and prevent blood clots and strokes. These high-risk medications require close monitoring, and studies on pharmacist-led anticoagulant clinics suggest that these specialized clinical services lead to increased appropriate dosing, improved patient health outcomes, improved patient adherence, and enhanced follow-up by healthcare providers.

For patients taking an anticoagulant medication, the pharmacist can:

• Provide patient education on anticoagulant use
• Work with patients to identify and lessen barriers to adherence and assess adverse events
• Identify and mitigate potential medication interactions with anticoagulants
• Provide recommendations for anticoagulant dosage adjustment based on patient’s lab results and patient factors such as age, weight, and interacting medications
• Communicate regularly with patient’s primary health provider as needed, and with consent.
• Offer recommendations for initiating anticoagulants, switching from one anticoagulant to another, and anticoagulation management prior to surgical procedures.