Pharmacotherapy – Anticoagulation therapy in hospitals: let’s ask the experts

Link to EAHP Statements
Section 4 – Clinical Pharmacy: Statements – 4.1, 4.8

Abstract
Annually, millions of patients worldwide, who suffer from thromboembolic conditions, necessitate anticoagulation therapy. Despite the undeniable advantages of anticoagulants in reducing thromboembolic events, these medications can be responsible for adverse drug events in hospitalized patients.
Particularly anticoagulation management is more complex in those patients with comorbidities such as renal or liver impairment, or patients with specific characteristics such as high body weight, and frailty, patients with a high risk of bleeding or who have previously experienced bleeding events while on anticoagulants.
In this interactive session, our panel of experts will discuss the management of anticoagulation therapy in complex case scenarios and will answer questions on issues the attendees have encountered while managing their patients on anticoagulants or anticoagulant reversal agents.

Learning objectives
After the session, the participant should be able to:

• Discuss the importance of shared decision-making between the hospital pharmacist (HP), physicians and patients on anticoagulants.
• Recognize those patients for whom anticoagulation management can be complex and challenging.
• Outline the essential role of the HP in the management of anticoagulation in patients with comorbidities or other characteristics that make the anticoagulation treatment more complex.

Educational need addressed
This interactive session addresses the expertise that HPs require when the anticoagulation treatment of patients with thromboembolic diseases becomes challenging due to patients’ comorbidities or characteristics.

Keywords
Anticoagulants, shared decision-making, comorbidities.