AHRQ announces guide to help patients avoid adverse events with warfarin therapy.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released a new consumer publication to explain what patients should expect and watch out for while undergoing Coumadin/warfarin therapy.

In 2005, more than 3.8 million Americans were taking Coumadin/warfarin at an estimated cost of nearly $963 million, according to the latest data from AHRQ. Warfarin is a blood thinner that is used to help prevent blood clots that can cause a stroke, heart attack or other serious conditions. Clinicians sometimes prescribe it for other uses as well, and the booklet is intended to help patients who have been prescribed the drug to use it as safely as possible. Warfarin is the second most common drug - after insulin - implicated in emergency room visits for adverse drug events, according to FDA.

"Warfarin is an effective drug, but it must be used with special care to avoid dangerous bleeding," said AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy, M.D. "Individuals respond differently to warfarin, so the dosage must be personalized to each patient, and it is necessary for patients and clinicians alike to be aware of the factors that make for safe use of the drug."

A simple blood test can quickly tell whether a patient is taking too much or too little warfarin. This brochure educates patients about their medication therapy and potentially dangerous side effects, explains how to communicate effectively with their health care providers and provides tips for lifestyle modifications. It also provides information on remembering when to take the medicine, learning how to stay safe while taking the medicine, maintaining a consistent diet and alerting health care providers to concurrent drugs and/or supplements patients are taking to avoid any potential adverse interactions.

The new booklet can be found online at http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/coumadin.htm.