Some blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin (Coumadin®), require careful monitoring. Doses are adjusted based on your response to the medication, so it’s important that dose-response monitoring and adjustment be done by experts.
- Direct Oral Anticoagulant (DOAC) Information
- Things to Know When Taking Warfarin (Coumadin) Anticoagulation Therapy | Información importante acerca de la warfarina (Coumadin) Terapia de anticoagulación
Our Anticoagulation Clinic will review your warfarin use, monitor your response to the dosage and watch for any conflicts or negative side effects.
Visiting the Anticoagulation Clinic
When you visit the Anticoagulation Clinic, you will work with our pharmacists and nurses to manage your blood thinner. Under their efficient and reliable care, you will receive the highest quality anticoagulation medication management.
What to Expect
Before your appointment, the pharmacist or nurse will:
- Review the reason for your appointment
- Check what happened during your last appointment
- Review your most recent visits to other Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin clinics and hospitals
- Assess your list of medications and recent labs planned surgery or procedure
During your appointment, the pharmacist or nurse will:
- Review your blood test results (INR for warfarin patients)
- Assess how you take your anticoagulant
- Review things that may affect your anticoagulant
- Assess your anticoagulant dose and create a plan
If needed, they will also:
- Issue new prescriptions
- Call your doctor
- Set up follow-up appointments
- Help with any needed anticoagulant adjustments
Anticoagulation Testing Options
Regular testing is essential to manage your warfarin or anticoagulation medication dosage. Our Anticoagulation Service provides convenient locations for testing appointments.
- Face-to-face visit. We have four clinic locations where you can sit down with a clinical pharmacist or nurse for a dedicated visit about your medication regimen. During your appointment, you will get immediate INR blood test results using a finger stick test. If your warfarin dose needs adjusting, our pharmacists and nurses can do it right away before you leave. Most visits take less than 15 minutes. Our staff also manages and teaches patients who need injectable anticoagulants how to self-inject their medication.
- Laboratory visits. Visit a Froedtert & MCW laboratory for an INR blood draw. When the result is available, a pharmacist or nurse will call to provide instructions for warfarin management. Find a lab near you. We encourage patients to schedule their INR draws during open lab hours Monday through Thursday. If you prefer Friday testing, please call the clinic to discuss lab options.
- Self-Testing at Home. Patients who are eligible for home INR testing receive education on how to use a meter to complete the finger stick testing at home every two weeks or more often. Patients are responsible for calling in the INR results. After the result has been reported, a pharmacist or nurse will call to provide instructions for warfarin management. Ask your doctor or clinician at your next appointment if this option is right for you.
- By Phone. When you work with the Anticoagulation Clinic to monitor your levels by phone, you will work with our pharmacists and nurses to ensure the highest quality of care possible. You will visit the lab regularly for blood testing, followed by a phone call or MyChart message from the pharmacist or nurse. You can visit whichever Froedtert & MCW lab is most convenient for you. If we call to discuss your results and you are not home, we will leave a message. Please make sure to check your messages on the day you go to the lab. You are responsible for promptly returning calls to the Anticoagulation Clinic. If you visited the lab and did not receive your follow up communication from a pharmacist or nurse, please call us at 414-805-6575. A phone assessment appointment will be scheduled with our clinic for each date we expect you to have your INR tested. We will call to discuss your result during normal business hours Monday through Friday by the end of the next business day.
INR Lab Results
You can see your INR results in your Froedtert & MCW MyChart account on your computer or smart phone.
- To register for MyChart, visit my.froedtert.com and select Create New Account.
Remember to update the Anticoagulation Clinic if you:
- Are scheduled for a procedure or surgery
- Have changes to any medication or diet
- Have unusual bruising or bleeding
- Have a bad cold, diarrhea, fever or vomiting
- Change your phone number or contact information
Coordinated Care
Your pharmacist will coordinate care with your physicians, treatment teams and clinics to make sure that everyone is on the same page and to ensure you receive the highest quality anticoagulation and anemia management. All pharmacists are part of the Froedtert Pharmacy team.
To learn more about anticoagulation services or schedule an appointment, call 414-805-6575, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. Patients are responsible for the co-pay for any testing or visit.
Locations
Once you and your physician decide to use our clinic, we will contact you to schedule an initial appointment.
Find an anticoagulation clinic location in Manitowoc
Clinic hours vary, but we are available by phone at 414-805-6575, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Anticoagulation Center of Excellence
The Froedtert Health Anticoagulation Clinic passed the Anticoagulation Forum assessment program and earned the designation as an Anticoagulation Center of Excellence. The rigorous assessment gave us the chance to measure our practice against five key areas of patient care. The program provides ongoing access to a rich library of resources with guidelines and tools to keep up with the changing field of anticoagulation.
The Anticoagulation Forum is a multidisciplinary nonprofit organization with a mission to improve the quality of care for patients taking antithrombotic medications.