Location
Textile House, 5 Johnson Place, Dublin 2, Ireland
Cost
Free

This online course aims to equip pharmacists with the knowledge to deliver a safe and supportive service to patients prescribed anticoagulants. It should take approximately 6 hours to complete; however this does not have to take place over one sitting.  

You must be logged in to book a place on this course.

On successful completion of this programme participants will be able to:

  • Describe the coagulation cascade
  • Describe the currently available anticoagulants and their indications for use
  • Describe the role of anticoagulants in preventing stroke and the current available data on underutilisation
  • Describe the role of regular INR monitoring including:
    • what is meant by INR, why and how it is used to manage patients on warfarin
    • how often patients should be monitored
    • how INR is recorded and communicated to patients
    • the key factors influencing INR
  • Describe and implement the pharmacist’s responsibilities in relation to the dispensing, therapeutic review and safe and rational use of anticoagulants
  • Identify and utilise relevant evidence-based guidelines and sources of information on the use of anticoagulants
  • Provide accurate, quality and safe information to patients and healthcare professionals regarding the safe and appropriate use of anticoagulants
  • Identify, prevent, minimise, resolve and follow-up medication safety issues associated with anticoagulants
  • Educate patients regarding the safe and appropriate use of anticoagulants to optimise their care
  • Encourage and facilitate patient adherence to medicines
  • Describe the services provided by anticoagulation clinics and how this relates to the delivery of pharmaceutical care
  • Have an awareness of the options available for the management of bleeding in patients on anticoagulation
  • Describe specific actions which can be implemented into practice to enhance the pharmaceutical care of patients using anticoagulants
  • Identify their additional individual learning needs