Patient Information - Pharmacy Anticoagulation Clinic

For patients

Our pharmacists and nurses provide individualized care for patients taking anticoagulants (blood thinners).  We see over 2,000 patients each year, and our clinic visits are by appointment only. These appointments focus on monitoring your blood thinner and reducing your risk of bleeding, forming a clot, or having a stroke.

Patient eligibility

In order to be seen at the Anticoagulation Clinic, you:

• Need a referral from your doctor’s office
• Must be able to come to the clinic for face-face appointments
• Must see your referring doctor at least once a year

For patients taking warfarin (Coumadin or Jantoven)

Initial visits. Initial visits are scheduled for 30 minutes. At this visit, you will meet with one of our clinicians who will review key educational information about warfarin. The clinician will also check your international normalized ratio (INR), using a finger stick, which tells us how well your warfarin is working. Based on the INR result, the clinician will tell you what dose of warfarin to take and set up your next appointment.

• Follow up visits. Follow up visits are scheduled for 15 minutes. At these visits, the clinician will recheck your INR level. Your INR will be tested weekly until your level is stable and within your goal range. Once your level is within goal range, we will gradually increase the time between appointments. Your INR level must be checked at least monthly. How often you are tested also depends on other factors, such as your clinical condition and your doctor’s orders.

Resources

• Warfarin education handouts (English)

For patients taking apixaban (Eliquis), rivaroxaban (Xarelto) or dabigatran (Pradaxa)

• Initial visits. Initial visits are scheduled for 60 minutes. At this visit, you will meet with one of our clinicians who will review key educational information about your anticoagulant (blood thinner). The clinician will also assess the safety and efficacy of your medication through a comprehensive review of the following:
  • Age
  • Weight
  • Medical conditions
  • Risk factors for clotting and bleeding
  • Laboratory values
  • Medications and possible drug interactions
  • Cost

Once the assessment is complete, the clinician may order additional lab tests and/or discuss recommendations with your referring doctor. 

• Follow up visits. Follow up visits are scheduled for 30 minutes. At these visits, the clinician will continue to review the safety and efficacy of your blood thinner medication. How often we see you depends on why you take a blood thinner, your lab values, and your risk of having side effects or adverse events.

Resources

• DOAC education handouts (English)