Risk of clots, stroke from incorrect blood thinner dosing reduced using online dashboard

Doctors and pharmacists treating people with blood thinners can reduce the rate of inappropriate dosing — as well as blood clots and strokes that can result from it — using an electronic patient management system, a study suggests. Direct oral anticoagulants can be incorrectly prescribed up to 20% of the time.

Most blood thinner dosing problems happen after initial prescription

More than two-thirds of people taking blood thinners take direct oral anticoagulants, or DOACs, which are under- or over-prescribed in up to one in eight patients. A new study finds that most prescribing issues for DOACs occur after a provider writes the initial prescription. Researchers say the findings highlight why patients on DOACs need to be monitored consistently.

DOACs more effective, cost-effective compared to LMWH for cancer-associated thrombosis

A cost-effectiveness analysis comparing direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) to low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) found that DOACs are both more medically effective and cost-effective than LMWH when treating cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT). These findings may inform decisions on the clinical level as well as policy decisions. The analysis is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Mayo Clinic study provides clarity on use of anticoagulants in gastrointestinal cancers

A study by Mayo Clinic researchers provides some clarity in the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC), such as apixaban and rivaroxaban, to treat acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with gastrointestinal cancers. The findings were published Wednesday, June 2, in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.