Important information for anticoagulation clinic patients

Your first visit to the anticoagulation clinic will be 40 to 60 minutes in length and may be in a group setting with other “new to clinic” patients. Please bring your updated medication list to this appointment.

Your appointments thereafter will be approximately 15 to 30 minutes.

What we do:

• Help you get started as a new patient, providing in-depth education.
• Understand your health history, current medications and diet.
• Assist you in understanding anticoagulation therapy and your individual treatment plan.
• Provide nutrition and lifestyle recommendations.
• Perform International Normalized Ratio (INR) lab monitoring, via point-of-care (“finger-stick”) or blood draw, and adjust your warfarin dose as needed, based on the results.
• Discuss changes in diet, acute illnesses, and medications that could impact your therapy.
• Manage anticoagulation prescription refills to your preferred pharmacy.
• Coordinate anticoagulation therapy before and after surgeries and procedures.
• Provide after-hours care with an on-call nurse available in the evenings, on weekends and holidays.

When to call the anticoagulation clinic

Salem: 503-814-1700
Dallas: 503-917-2013

Feel free to call if you have any questions about your warfarin therapy. We are here to help! Please call us for any of the issues below:

Medication issues

• You miss a dose of warfarin, or take too much
• Medication changes (starting, stopping or changing) to over-the-counter, prescribed (especially antibiotics and steroids) and vitamin supplements.
• Changes in the amount of vitamin K in your diet.
• Your warfarin tablet appears to be a different color when being refilled.
• You are pregnant or are planning to get pregnant.

Health changes

• Bleeding (go to the emergency room or call 911 if uncontrollable).
• Any procedures coming up, including dental work.
• Any illness lasting longer than three days.
• More bruising than usual from trauma.

Provider changes

• A health care provider tells you to stop warfarin.
• You are receiving/plan to receive home health services for any reason (including physical therapy, occupational therapy or nursing services).
• You were admitted to a hospital or evaluated at an emergency department since you last visited the anticoagulation clinic.