PAMF Anticoagulation Clinic

If you are taking warfarin (Coumadin®) to prevent and treat blood clots, be aware that many factors, including taking other medications, diet and alcohol use, can affect your warfarin therapy.

That’s why patients taking warfarin must be monitored periodically with blood testing. Unlike most medications that are administered as a fixed dose, warfarin dosing is adjusted according to blood test results; therefore, the dose usually changes over time.

The Anticoagulation Clinic at Palo Alto Medical Foundation offers the monitoring you need to make sure you are being treated effectively and safely.

The Anticoagulation Clinic is staffed by registered nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and a medical director. Unlike laboratory visits, the clinic providers perform finger-stick blood tests to identify the level of warfarin in your body (the result is available in less than one minute), which is used to determine the appropriate warfarin dose for you.

Clinic staff also look for any changes in your medications and diet, as well as any side effects related to warfarin therapy.

To become a part of the Anticoagulation Clinic, your doctor must send a referral to the clinic. Some locations have a waiting list, but you will be contacted as soon as an appointment is available. Initial visits usually last for 30 minutes and subsequent visits are approximately 10 minutes.

For more information, call one of our clinic locations: