Warfarin Management Pathway: A clear and safe algorithm, from admission to discharge.

Warfarin is the most commonly prescribed anticoagulant in the UK and the one most frequently associated with both fatal medication errors and litigation claims [1]. Its life-threatening interactions and side effects are a concern for all doctors. Identifying and implementing solutions to achieve safer prescribing and monitoring is imperative to improve patient safety. The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has outlined the major risks associated with anticoagulant therapy and sought to establish safer practice [1]. The monitoring of safety indicators has been highlighted as a solution. This quality improvement project (QIP) introduces a management algorithm for oral anticoagulant therapy in hospital patients, validated through a completed audit cycle. It was completed at one district general hospital (DGH) in England and involved all inpatient wards. Doctors and pharmacists were interviewed to assess their knowledge of the correct pathways for management of patients on warfarin. The number of errors on hospital warfarin charts was audited over three weeks. These results, coupled with senior haematological advice led to the production of an algorithm illustrating the gold-standard pathway for warfarin management from admission to discharge. It was emailed to all doctors in the Trust and a laminated copy attached to hospital Pneumatic Tube System (PTS) machines. The warfarin charts were re-audited over the following three weeks. The results showed a marked decrease in errors and incomplete anticoagulation referrals as well as a reduction in doctors’ anxiety around prescribing warfarin.