Curbside Visits For Anticoagulation Patients

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ACCP member Amanda Winans, Pharm.D., BCPS, CACP, reports that the anticoagulation management services team at Bassett Healthcare Network in rural upstate New York now offers curbside visits to mitigate patients’ risk of contracting COVID-19. Patients receiving chronic warfarin therapy, including those with underlying risk factors or individuals who can’t safely extend their INR testing windows, can take advantage of this service. Clinical pharmacists and nurses don appropriate personal protective equipment to perform point of care INR testing and manage warfarin therapy in this vulnerable population. Able to remain safely in their vehicles, patients have expressed gratitude for the extra measure of service provided. For many, it lessens their anxiety while also providing important care during this stressful time.