Synergy satellite meeting: anticoagulants—a matter of heart! Towards a bright future?

One of the innovations at the 19th Congress of EAHP was this seminar, conceived as a partnership between hospital pharmacists and industry. The EAHP Scientific Committee chose the topic and the event was supported by an unconditional educational grant from Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Attendance was accepted by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a knowledge-based activity.

The first presentation, by Sabine Eichinger of the Medical University of Vienna, reminded the audience of the mode of action of vitamin K antagonists and the new direct oral anticoagulants. The name ‘direct’ highlights the fact that they are more specific in their targeting of the clotting system, and are therefore less prone to influence by a wide variety of possible agents, and do not require monitoring for blood levels. Their C_max is reached in 1–4 h and half-life is quite short, resulting in once-a-day dosing (rivaroxaban, edoxaban) or twice-a-day dosing (apixaban, dabigatran) and there is no need for heparin bridging while they take effect. Sabine Eichinger reminded the audience that rivaroxaban is the only novel OAC licensed for hip and …