Vim & Vigor - Winter 2016 - Community Healthcare - 48


HEALTH BY THE NUMBERS BY MISTI CRANE

MEDICATION MISHAPS
$3.5 BILLION
700,000
emergency department
visits arise from medication
problems each year in the
United States.

2X

Older Americans are twice as
likely to go to the emergency
department because of an
adverse drug event.

is spent on medical costs
related to prescription drug
errors each year.

Sources: U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention;
American Association of Poison
Control Centers

82%

Nearly
272,000
calls were received
by U.S. poison control
centers in 2014 for
medication errors,
usually because
someone inadvertently
took a medicine, or
took it twice.

of American adults
take at least one
medication and
29 percent take
five or more.
Unfortunately,
they're not always
taken safely.

MANAGING ANTI-CLOTTING MEDS

48

W IN TER 2016

pharmacy at St. Mary Medical Center. "These
medications can interact with other prescriptions or over-the-counter medicines and even
certain foods. For those reasons, continual
monitoring, including frequent blood tests to
determine clotting time, is very necessary."
Community Healthcare System's Anticoagulation Clinics offer immediate protime/
INR tests, dosage adjustments, screening,
counseling about food and drug interactions,
and patient education.
"Our clinics allow patients to have a one-onone connection with a clinical pharmacist as
they navigate the management of their anticoagulation medications," Meyer says. "Patients
have a personal counselor-someone who can
address their questions and concerns-who
is with them every step of their journey. Our
pharmacists also stay in communication with
the patient's physician so they are always
updated with any changes."

GO TO...

Here to Help
Patients at any stage
of anticoagulation
therapy can attend the
Anticoagulation Clinics
in East Chicago, Hobart
or Munster. Physician
referral is required. Visit
www.comhs.org for
information.

ILLUSTRATION BY THINKSTOCK

For patients at risk for blood clots who are
prescribed anticoagulation or blood-thinning
medications such as Coumadin®, managing dosages and following your physician's guidelines
are extremely important. The experienced clinical pharmacists at the Anticoagulation Clinics
of Community Healthcare System work with
patients and their physicians to provide close
supervision for effective management of anticoagulation therapy.
Blood clotting, or coagulation, is the body's
normal reaction to prevent excessive bleeding from cuts and injuries. Those with conditions that have damaged the heart, arteries
or lungs have a greater chance of forming a
blood clot and may rely on anticoagulants to
prevent clotting.
"Anticoagulation medications decrease the
blood's ability to clot, and when left unmonitored,
bumps and bruises can become more serious
situations," says Michelle Meyer, director of


http://www.comhs.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2016 - Community Healthcare

Contents
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2016 - Community Healthcare - Cover1
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2016 - Community Healthcare - Cover2
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2016 - Community Healthcare - Contents
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