Anticoagulation and Antiplatelet Therapy: Clinical Use Guidelines
Course #95310 - $42 -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
This comprehensive course explores the appropriate use of antithrombotic agents for improved patient outcomes. Key topics include pharmacology of common antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs, evidence-based indications for mono- and combination therapy, monitoring parameters for safe and effective use, and management of potential complications. Upon completion, you'll be equipped with essential knowledge and clinical pearls for delivering high-quality antithrombotic care.
This course is designed for physicians, nurses, and pharmacists whose patients benefit from anticoagulation and/or antiplatelet therapy.
The purpose of this course is to provide clinicians with clinical guidance on the appropriate use of antithrombotic agents in order to improve patient outcomes.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Compare and contrast the mechanisms of action of commonly used anticoagulant and antiplatelet agents, including unfractionated heparin, low molecular weight heparins, vitamin K antagonists, direct thrombin inhibitors, factor Xa inhibitors, aspirin, and P2Y12 inhibitors.
- Identify best practice and evidence-based recommendations for initiating anticoagulant therapy for various conditions, including atrial fibrillation, acute coronary syndrome, prosthetic heart valves, and venous thromboembolism using risk stratification frameworks.
- Recognize clinical situations warranting antiplatelet therapy, either alone or in combination with anticoagulants, based on updated treatment guidelines for relevant vascular conditions, including acute coronary syndrome, coronary artery disease, acute ischemic stroke, and peripheral arterial disease.
- Select the most appropriate medication monitoring strategy based on specific anticoagulant or antiplatelet agent and therapeutic indication.
- Indicate safe strategies for transitioning between anticoagulant and antiplatelet agents to avoid therapy gaps or excessive overlap that can precipitate thrombotic complications or bleeding, based on indication timeframe, procedure guidance, and antithrombotic agent properties.
- Recognize special populations who may require additional monitoring of anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapies due to altered pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic parameters.
Justin Delic, PharmD, BCCCP, is a critical care clinical pharmacy specialist at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey. He completed his first year of pharmacy residency at UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, followed by a second year of residency specializing in critical care medicine at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Following residency, he went on to practice as an assistant professor of clinical pharmacy at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, prior to transitioning into his current role as a clinical pharmacy specialist at Cooper University Hospital. His areas of expertise include pharmacology, neurocritical care, simulation education, and anticoagulation.
Contributing faculty, Justin Delic, PharmD, BCCCP, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
John M. Leonard, MD
Candace Pierce, DNP, RN, CNE, COI
Randall L. Allen, PharmD
The division planners have disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
It is the policy of NetCE not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distributing or providing access to this activity to learners.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.