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Dabigatran, a target-specific oral anticoagulant, is more acceptable to patients than warfarin because there are no requirements for laboratory monitoring. However, less frequent contact with patients might result in lower compliance with dosing instructions.
To evaluate medication adherence, investigators collected dabigatran prescription information on 4863 patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at 67 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) sites. In addition, they interviewed 47 pharmacists at 41 sites to assess factors associated with improved adherence, such as meticulous patient selection, education, and follow-up.
Whereas 72% of patients were adherent (defined as ≥80% of prescribed days covered by prescription), 23% had a medicatio…