ALERT: Analysis of patients being switched from Warfarin to DOACs

Written by admin on Friday 19th June 2020

Pharmacy contractors requested to submit all EPS anticoagulant prescriptions as soon as possible to aid analysis being done. Read on for more information...

 

CPSC alerted pharmacies back in April about the growing number of patients being switched from warfarin to DOACs in the following CPSC News article:

Since then, there is still concern around ensuring patients are managing this switch correctly. Contractors are therefore being asked to take additional care with regard to dispensing these medicines.

Analysis is being undertaken centrally to check that patients who are being changed from warfarin to a DOAC are not, inadvertently, being prescribed them both together.

Actions required:

  1. To help this analysis contractors are requested to submit all EPS anticoagulant prescriptions as soon as possible after dispensing, preferably not waiting until the end of the month.
  2. It will also be good practice for a double check to be made with the patient and their SCR to ensure they understand what the medications are and that they are not using warfarin and a DOAC together.

The switch to DOACs and movement away from warfarin, where appropriate, was initially triggered during the COVID-19 crisis in order to reduce the required attendance at INR checks.

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