AntiCoagulation Europe, part of a new anticoagulation alliance, calls for self-testing monitors for warfarin to be avaialble on prescription

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The countdown has started to the launch of a new campaign aimed at giving long-term warfarin patients greater choice in the management of their condition.

There are more than 1.2 million people in the UK on warfarin of which less than two per cent benefit from self-monitoring, despite evidence that it can cut the risk of death by nearly two-fifths and more than halve the risk of strokes. The AntiCoagulation Self-Monitoring Alliance (ACSMA) is launching a new campaign with the specific objective of achieving greater access via prescription to INR self-monitoring technology for patients receiving warfarin therapy.The alliance is also seeking to raise awareness of the benefits of self-monitoring and aims to ensure that patients are equipped to have informed discussions with their healthcare professionals on this topic.

The campaing will launch in the House of Commons on 24th October 2012.

Read more: anticoagulationeurope.o...

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As an advocate of self-testing, this initiative will enhance the well-being of many people on warfarin and free up their lives. The INR test is used to determine the degree to which the persons coagulation has been successfully suppressed by warfarin, and the Gold Standard is 60% in therapeutic range. This basically means that 40% of INR results of therapeutic range are ineffective, since under anticoagulation gives inadequate protection against thromboembolic events and over anticoagulation increase the bleeding risk. By self- testing your INR more often (weekly) you will increase your therapeutic range and more importantly increase your therapeutic time range i.e. the more time your therapy is working.

I am not medically qualified but is my opinion based on my self-testing and self-dosing and having experieance and knowledge of being subtherapetic and how to improve my well-being.