New anticoagulant program
February 6, 2013
NPS Medicinewise yesterday
officially launched a new
educational program, aiming to
assist pharmacists and other health
professionals understand the use of
warfarin and newer coagulants.
‘Achieving Good Anticoagulant
Practice’ will help pharmacists to
feel more confident in their role
when it comes to advising and
educating patients requiring
anticoagulant therapy, according to
NPS clinical adviser, Dr Danielle
Stowasser.
The program outlines why people
with non-valvular atrial fibrillation
whose anticoagulation is well
controlled using warfarin “may not
benefit clinically from switching to a
newer oral anticoagulant,” she said.
“It also reminds prescriobers that
although there are no readily
available and validated tests for
measuring the activity of the newer
oral anticoagulants, routine clinical
monitoring of all patients on
anticoagulant therapy is still
essential, regardless of which type
of anticoagulant they are using”.
The latest edition of NPS
Medicinewise News includes a
review of anticoagulant therapy,
along with a decision tool to assist
with starting on the medications
and the importance of ongoing
monitoring.
Stowasser said that up to 90% of
patients who present with AFrelated
strokes have received
inadequate anticoagulation
therapy, while 60% are not
receiving any anticoagulants at the
time of the stroke.
She said the situation is “one of
the major evidence-practice gaps in
medicine today”.
NPS facilitators will begin
delivering face to face educational
visits on the program to GPs and
pharmacists from this month.
The visits are free and attract CPD
points, and can be booked by
contacting NPS directly or via the
NPS facilitator at the nearby
Medicare Local.
See nps.or.g.au/anticoagulants.
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