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Clinics & Labs

   
Anticoagulation Clinic

   
What is an Anticoagulation Clinic?
The Anticoagulation Clinic is a service established to monitor and manage the medication(s) that you take to prevent blood clots. physically, the anticoagulation clinic is located in the hospital pharmacy. The pharmacists, working in conjunction with your physician, will check your blood test and adjust your dose of warfarin (Coumadin®, Jantoven®) as well as other medicines that may be needed (such as heparin or enoxaparin or Vitamin K).
   
Why is a special clinic needed to manage my medicine?
Warfarin can be a dangerous medicine if not closely monitored. While on warfarin, your blood clotting time or INR must be checked every 4-6 weeks, but more often when first starting warfarin, when changes are made to your other medications, or if your INR results are not within the therapeutic range.
   
What is the procedure for follow-up in the Anticoagulation Clinic?
After your physician sends in the referral form, you will be contacted by the Anticoagulation Clinic to discuss your therapy and to arrange your first appointment. At the appointments, the pharmacist will check your INR by using a finger stick blood test (the result will be available immediately). The pharmacist will ask some questions about your health and medications, determine if your warfarin dose should be adjusted, and schedule your next appointment. At your first visit, you will be given additional education regarding warfarin. Your lab results are then faxed to your physician.
   
Cost
Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance cover some of all of the services. All billing is done by North Valley Hospital.
   
Mission
Our Mission is to thoroughly educate the patient, keep the physician well-informed about the patient's care, and provide efficient, high-quality care utilizing knowledgeable, well trained providers and an accurate testing method. North Valley Anticoagulation Clinic was created to assist the physician in optimizing the safety and efficacy of antithrombotic therapy.
   

North Valley Hospital Anticoagulation Clinic
North Valley Hospital Pharmacy
1600 Hospital Way
Whitefish, MT 59937
Phone: (406) 863-3204
Open by appointment
   

   
 

North Valley Hospital, Whitefish, Montana
Copyright 1999-2007