Warfarin and Antibiotics (HP108)
HP108 Warfarin and Antibiotics
Type: Protocol
Overview/Purpose
To ensure patients on warfarin who are prescribed antibiotics are flagged appropriately, enabling the nursing team to schedule an INR (International Normalized Ratio) check within a week.
What does it do?
This protocol automatically identifies when antibiotics are prescribed to a patient taking warfarin. It generates an alert for clinicians to ensure appropriate follow-up and tasks the nursing team to organise an INR check to monitor the patient's coagulation status, reducing the risk of adverse events.
Why is it important?
Warfarin can interact with antibiotics, potentially altering its effectiveness and increasing the risk of bleeding or clotting issues. This protocol supports safe prescribing practices and ensures timely INR monitoring. It helps:
- Safeguard patient safety by reducing risks of complications.
- Achieve Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) targets related to safe prescribing.
- Maintain compliance with Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards by supporting robust clinical governance.
What does it look like?
See below screenshots which show examples of the protocol in use:
System Dependencies
This protocol relies on:
- Accurate coding of both warfarin prescriptions and antibiotic prescriptions.
- Clinicians coding medications and ensuring up-to-date patient records.
- Communication pathways to ensure tasks are received and acted upon by the nursing team.
System Triggers
System Trigger: Issue of an antibiotic
Run mode: Always run
Enable trigger for: All clinicians
Change management considerations
Fitting your practice: Ensure clinicians understand the importance of monitoring patients on warfarin when prescribing antibiotics. Practices should evaluate the protocol in relation to existing alerts to avoid "alert fatigue." The workflow should integrate smoothly with tasking systems to avoid delays in scheduling INR checks.
Communication: Nursing teams should have a clear process for receiving and actioning tasks to avoid missed INR appointments.
How to get it
This protocol is automatically installed in your system.
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