Comments for Consumers
This page/column contains information which may be of interest to consumers. The information is based on articles which appear in Australian Prescriber. As Australian Prescriber is written for health professionals, you should discuss any issues raised by this page/column with your doctor or pharmacist. They will be able to give a more detailed answer to your questions by reading the main article.
Australian Prescriber is unable to comment on individual cases or give second opinions.
Australian Prescriber Vol. 24 No. 4 2001
Managing warfarin therapy in the community
Warfarin is used in rat poison, but in small doses it is a useful medicine. It helps to prevent blood clots. This is important in people prone to blood clots, such as patients with damaged heart valves.
If the dose of warfarin is wrong it may thin the blood too much. This can cause bleeding which does not stop quickly. To prevent this happening people taking warfarin need regular blood tests. The results of these tests and the dose of warfarin should be kept as a record by the patient.
Warfarin interacts with many other medicines and herbs as well as some foods. The patients therefore have their blood tested more often when they start or stop a new medicine or change the dose.
If a patient taking warfarin has abnormal bleeding they should go to a doctor to have their blood tested.
Booklets aimed at patient education are available from all pharmacies.
