A Pharmacist’s Role
Let’s talk about the importance of a pharmacist in anticoagulation therapy. A skilled pharmacist can play a vital role in ensuring the safe and effective treatment of patients with thromboembolic diseases. Anticoagulation therapy, or the use of blood thinners, is critical for treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), atrial fibrillation (AF), and heart attack. Managing anticoagulation therapy can be complex and include the dual risks of bleeding and clotting.
Mediation Management
With their extensive knowledge of dosing, monitoring, and management of anticoagulants, pharmacists can manage bleeding and clotting complications by partnering with patients, healthcare providers, and anticoagulation clinics. They can provide educational information to patients about their medication and review the importance of adherence to the required dosing, possible side effects, and potential drug interactions. They can also monitor the patient’s Prothrombin/ International Normalized Ratio (PT/INR) levels, a measurement of the blood’s clotting ability. With these results, pharmacists can adjust dosing and ensure the patient remains within the desired therapeutic range to avoid complications.
Tailored Care
By providing tailored care for each individual patient, pharmacists play a crucial role in improving patient outcomes. This is important for elderly patients and those with comorbidities as anticoagulation therapy could be more challenging in these populations. Pharmacists are essential members of the healthcare team and play a key role in anticoagulation therapy management.
Review NICE Guidelines for Treatment of Thromboembolic Diseases (DVT and PE)
Read Updated Guidelines for Outpatient Anticoagulation Management.
Discover the Coag-Sense® PT/INR Monitoring System, a reliable CLIA-waived point-of-care system that measures actual clot time.
