Pharmacy Daily | New anticoagulant program

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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