Hospital Pharmacist
Vol 10 No 2 p40
February 2003

News summary

Pharmacist commended for anticoagulation initiative

Naomi Burns, anticoagulation and care of the elderly pharmacist at Brighton General Hospital, has received a commendation in the 2002 "Thrombosis leaders of the future" awards. The awards recognise the work Ms Burns has been carrying out in establishing a pharmacist-led inpatient anticoagulation service.

Ms Burns told Hospital Pharmacist that pharmacists have been carrying out dose adjustments for warfarin within the outpatient setting for some time, but managing inpatient dosing is a new initiative.

Ms Burns's award entry described a study she has conducted to compare the effectiveness of pharmacists managing inpatient anticoagulation with that of junior doctors, and to establish the value of a pharmacist-led inpatient anticoagulation service.

Ms Burns said that the results indicate that pharmacists produce greater improvements than junior doctors in most aspects of anticoagulation management, including maintaining the INR (international normalised ratio) within the normal range and achieving a reduction in adverse events. She said that the doctors within her study requested unnecessary blood tests and did not always adhere to prescribing guidelines.

The awards have been established by the Thrombosis Quorum, which is an educational organisation steered by primary and secondary care clinicians and supported by an educational grant from AstraZeneca. The awards are also supported by 13 Royal colleges and learned societies.

Ms Burns wins £500 to spend on professional development activities related to thrombosis management or prevention.

Further information about the awards, and details of how to register for the 2003 entries, can be obtained from Camilla Bull or Alina Paul (tel 0207 318 8300).