Clinical and economic impacts of a pharmacist-managed anticoagulation clinic

textThis study evaluated the impact of a pharmacist-managed anticoagulation clinic (AC) on the clinical and economic outcomes of patient newly treated with warfarin therapy. A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients initiating warfarin therapy between November 1997 and April 1998. Patients were maintained on warfarin therapy for a minimum of two months. Patients were followed for either one-year postinitiation of warfarin usage or until discontinuation of warfarin therapy, whichever occurred earlier. Data were analyzed for 65 AC and 99 usual care (UC) patients. Anticoagulation clinic patients had a greater proportion of international normalized ratio (INR) values that were within therapeutic range than UC patients (61.3% and 56.9% of INR values, respectively) and a greater number of days with INR values in therapeutic range than UC patients (56.2% of days for AC patients and 48.8% of days for UC patients). The incidence rates of warfarin-related events were similar in both groups. Total charges for all health care services during the follow-up period were 50 percent greater for UC patients than for AC patients ($2,012.97 and $952.65 per UC and AC patient-month, respectively; p