The Impact of Community Use of Novel Oral Anticoagulants on an Academic Medical Center

Warfarin has been a mainstay of therapy for treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolic disease (VTED) and prevention of stroke and systemic embolism for over 50 years. Recent FDA approval of several novel oral anticoagulants has offered more extensive treatment options for management of these disease states. The availability of the novel anticoagulants offers an attractive alternative to warfarin therapy for patients due to their convenience of use. In comparison to warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban offer: - a fixed dosage regimen - a relatively small potential drug interaction profile - minimal laboratory monitoring - little to no dietary restrictions. Although these agents offer a relatively fixed dose regimen, dosage adjustment is required in moderate renal dysfunction, and use is contraindicated in severe renal dysfunction. Currently there are no specific reversal agents in the event of a nov- el anticoagulant associated bleed. These concerns led to the development of an anticoagulation stewardship program at our institution to monitor and guide the usage of these agents.