Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9880
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2155-9880
+44 1300 500008
Tamrat Assefa
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Clin Exp Cardiolog
Warfarin is the most widely used anticoagulant in the world. The difficulty of managing warfarin contributes to great potential for patient harm, both from excessive anticoagulation and insufficient anticoagulation. The objectives of this study were to assess the INR control outcome measures for warfarin therapy, to investigate quality of warfarin prescribing and to assess level of patients? knowledge on warfarin therapy among outpatients in TikurAnbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH). The study was based on cross sectional study design involving retrospective chart review and Oral Anticoagulation Knowledge Assessment (OAKA) questionnaires. 360 patients? charts were included and 130 patients were interviewed in this study. Patients spent 52.2%, 29% and 18.8% of the times in subtherapeutic, therapeutic and supratherapeutic ranges, respectively. The daily warfarin dose was increased in (50.9% and 36.9%) and decreased in (52.8% and 60.9%) of the times for occurrences of subtherapeutic and supratherapeutic International Normalized Ratio (INRs) to achieve target ranges of 2.0-3.0 and 2.5- 3.5 respectively. The majority of patients (76.9%) had moderate knowledge on warfarin therapy. The mean score of patients on correct response was 11.8±2.5 (59.3%±12.8%). Among interviewed patients, only 13.9% of them got passing scores. This study found that quality of anticoagulation management with warfarin among outpatients in TASH was suboptimal. This was reflected by low time in therapeutic range, longer INR monitoring frequency, minimal actions taken to adjust warfarin dose after occurrences of nontherapeutic INRs; and poor patients? knowledge. Establishing pharmacist managed anticoagulation clinic which supported by computer software programs may be the integral part of anticoagulation management services in TASH
Tamrat Assefa studied Pharmacy at Addis Ababa University, School of Pharmacy, Ethiopia. He worked as Hospital Pharmacist from October 2007 to November 2010 in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH). He then studied Pharmacy Practice in postgraduate program in the same university. His career and research interest is on anticoagulation management services and Clinical Pharmacy Services. He served as Pharmacy Services Directorate, Director of TASH from May, 2012 to June, 2013. He is currently working at TASH as Chief Pharmacist and Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner at position of Internal Medicine Pharmacy Services sub case team coordinator