How do I know what dose of warfarin to take?

[Admin]

How do I know what dose of warfarin to take?​

The pharmacist measures your INR levels using a finger prick test) and can tell you the dose of warfarin to take. Your GP is also informed of the INR result, as they have overall responsibility for your care. Read more about CPAMS. You can find out if a pharmacy near you offers CPAMS.
What happens if you take too little warfarin?
Having too little warfarin puts you at risk of your blood clotting and having too much warfarin puts you at risk of bleeding. Therefore, the effect of warfarin must be monitored carefully with blood testing. INR tests are very important to help your doctor determine the best dose of warfarin for you.
What is an INR test for warfarin?
Different people respond to warfarin differently, so monitoring with an INR test is needed to make sure you are taking the right dose of warfarin. What is an INR? If you are taking warfarin, you will need to have regular blood tests that measure how long your blood takes to clot. The test is called an INR (international normalised ratio) test.

Why isn’t warfarin dosing taught on the NAPLEX?​

Because it’s so different from patient to patient and because the NAPLEX may not drill into the specifics of it, the dosing of warfarin is often pushed off for you to learn somewhere during your practice experience. We’re not saying that is wrong, but it doesn’t help you out one bit on your APPE rotation either.

How does warfarin affect vitamin K levels?
Your body needs vitamin K to make clotting factors in your liver. These clotting factors help blood to clot and stop bleeding under normal conditions. Warfarin blocks vitamin K from making these clotting factors. This lowers the number of clotting factors in your blood.

What should I do if I experience bleeding while taking warfarin?
If you experience the following signs of bleeding, you should call 911 or your healthcare provider immediately: Some simple changes to decrease the risk of bleeding while taking warfarin include the following: Changes in daily living can affect the INR. It is important to know common do’s and don’ts for warfarin therapy.