What is Warfarin?
Warfarin is a medicine used to treat or prevent blood clots. It is a type of blood-thinning medicine known as an anticoagulant (anti-clotting) and is taken in tablet form, once per day. There are many things that can affect how Warfarin works on each person, therefore if you are taking warfarin you will need to be closely monitored to make sure you are taking just the right amount.
Your usual treating doctor or your hospital doctor may have enrolled you in the our pathology Warfarin Care Clinic so that we can monitor your blood and keep your Warfarin dosage at a safe level. Patients cannot self-register because we require a detailed medical history. You will need to speak with your doctor about enrolling in the Warfarin Care Clinic.
The Warfarin Care Clinic is not funded by Medicare or any other funding source, therefore we require your full cooperation to make this service run efficiently and effectively. Your responsibilities are laid out in the Warfarin Care Clinic Charter. You will be provided with a copy of the charter when your doctor registers you and you will need to return the Charter Acceptance Form in order to complete your registration.
Scroll down to Resources where you can find lots of helpful information such as an educational Warfarin Booklet, Warfarin Charter, and a blank request for you to use once you are registered.
Blood test and Warfarin
Your blood test result is referred to as an INR (International Normalised Ratio). This is a measure of the time it takes for your blood to clot. The higher the INR, the thinner the blood and the less warfarin you need. The lower the INR the more likely it is that you will develop a clot, so you may need more warfarin. Your warfarin levels need to be in the right range for your individual set of circumstances.
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We have implemented an SMS results system designed to provide you with a convenient way to keep track of your warfarin dosage requirements.To register for our SMS service please contact our Warfarin Department.
If you are a new patient and have had your blood collected before 12.00pm, our Pathology will endeavour to phone you on the same day your blood test is performed.If you do not receive a call from the Warfarin Support Service by 10.00am the next day after testing, please contact us and quote your patient reference number. If you cannot make contact with the support service, continue with your current dose until contact is achieved.If you are experiencing significant bleeding you must seek medical advice ASAP through your doctor or hospital.
If you are an established patient and an abnormal result is identified you will be contacted as a matter of priority by our staff, however, until we contact you it is important that you continue taking your current dose of Warfarin.If there are changes to your dose you will be contacted within 48 hours to confirm your new dosage and the date of your next blood test.If you do not receive your results within 2-3 days, please contact us to confirm your INR and Warfarin doses.If you are experiencing significant bleeding you must seek medical advice ASAP through your doctor or hospital.
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