Types of Patients Seen
New Vision’s Pharmacy Managed Anticoagulation Clinic (PMAC) is for patients taking the blood-thinner, warfarin/Coumadin©. PMAC uses Point of Care INR testing (i.e. finger prick test using Coaguchek© from Roche), providing INR results to patients within seconds.
What to Expect
Patients are seen by the Clinical Pharmacist and/or Registered Nurse for individual appointments. The goal of PMAC is to optimize warfarin therapy, prevent adverse drug events and promote self-management. Your INR will be checked, at minimum, every six weeks.
At your appointment, you can expect:
- Your INR to be tested using the CoaguChek XS point-of-care device. This machine provides the INR result within seconds using a small sample of blood obtained from the end of a finger.
- Your medications to be reviewed. Many prescription medications, over-the-counter products and natural health products can affect how warfarin works. It’s important to notify us if any of your medications have been started, stopped or dosages changed as this may affect the recommended dosage of your warfarin and the timing of your next INR test.
- Medication adherence to be discussed. It is very important to take your warfarin everyday exactly as prescribed, and to not miss any doses. This will optimize the benefits of warfarin while minimizing the risk of suffering a complication.
- Discuss signs and symptoms of bleeding, which is the most common complication of warfarin therapy. Minor bleeding can occur even when your INR is within the desired range. Thus, it is important to be aware of how different types of bleeding may present and to notify us immediately if you develop any of these signs.
- Discuss any recent visits to hospital or upcoming procedure (example: dental procedure or colonoscopy) and/or surgery. It is important to notify all healthcare providers involved in your care that you are taking warfarin. In some cases, changes to your warfarin therapy must be made prior to the procedure or surgery. At every visit we will inquire about any changes to your overall health.
- Based on the findings of the discussion points above, the Clinical Pharmacist and/or Registered Nurse will advise what dose of warfarin you are to take and when to return to the clinic for your next INR blood test. All INR results and warfarin instructions are recorded in your PMAC Calendar. We ask you to bring this calendar to every appointment.
