Anticoagulation clinics

On a routine anticoagulation clinic evaluation, the patient s INR was elevated to 4.1 from 2.5 obtained at the prior monthly visit, albeit with no clinical evidence of bleeding. There was no reported change in any of her medication regimens, diet, or lifestyle. However, the patient indicated that she had been consuming one cup of a concentrated herbal tea made from dried fruits of L. barbarum L. several times a day, to manage blurred vision secondary to a sore eye. When she presented to the clinic, the vision problems had already resolved. The patient was advised to discontinue... 

Norton JL, Gibson DL. 1996. Establishing an outpatient anticoagulation clinic in a community hospital. Am J Health-Syst Pharm 53 1151. 

She has a 4 month history of chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) and is attending her local community pharmacy anticoagulant clinic. Her current prescription is ... 

Kroner BA. Anticoagulation clinic in the VA Pittsburgh healthcare system. Pharm. Pract. Manag. Q. 1998 18 17-33. 

Conte RR, Kehoe WA, Nielson N, Lodhia H. Nine-year experience with a pharmacist-managed anticoagulation clinic. Am. J. Hosp. Pharm. 1986 43 2460-2464. 

The prothrombin time (PT) test is the most common method for monitoring oral anticoagulation. "" Standardization of this test using the INR has improved reliability of warfarin monitoring in North America. " Findings from two pharmacist-managed anticoagulation clinics... 

In the United Kingdom, pharmacists have also managed anticoagulation clinics.They can be found in hospital clinics, general practitioner surgery clinics, and... 

The cost effectiveness of pharmacy-managed anticoagulation clinics has been addressed in a few studies. 

The future for anticoagulation clinics is bright. Every year there is evidence of increased interest in this area. The... 

Table 1 Frequency of hemorrhage and thromboembolism with routine medical care versus pharmacist-managed anticoagulation clinics...

AC, Pharmacist-managed anticoagulation clinic RMC, routine medical care. NA, not available. 

Pharmacists in anticoagulation clinics should be able to demonstrate advanced knowledge of anticoagulation. More recently, the importance of credentialing anticoagulation providers has come to the forefront. This may become more important in the future for pharmacy practitioners who want reimbursement for their services. The National Certification Board for Anticoagulation Providers (NCBAP) has a mission to optimize patient care... 

ASHP Foundation provides an example of an anticoagulation clinic protocol. 

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