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Safe Anticoagulation |
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Anticoagulants are commonly used and can be dangerous; it is estimated that anticoagulants are involved in 7% of all medication errors. Of these errors, 20% result in death. A consensus statement of optimizing anticoagulants in hospitalized patients was published in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy. Among the recommendations:
- Every inpatient health care organization should use a system-based process for anticoagulation management to assure safe and effective use of these medications.
- The system should have a clearly defined structure with respect to leadership, accountability, and responsibility, and it should promote multidisciplinary involvement.
- Clinical standards should be reviewed and updated on a periodic basis to ensure they reflect current evidence and are synchronized with other institutional processes, policies, and procedures.
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