Pardee UNC Health Care Launches Pharmacy Medication Management Clinic Providing Patients Specialized Care for Managing Blood Thinner Medication 

 Pardee UNC Health Care has launched a Pharmacy Medication Management Clinic to help patients reach their healthcare goals and improve their quality of life through its medication management programs. These programs empower patients to self-manage their medications and healthcare plan while ensuring the medications are working and are safe to take.

“We work closely with our patient's primary care and specialist providers to optimize the medications that they prescribe,” said Aubrie Rafferty, PharmD, BCPS, Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Manager, Pardee UNC Health Care. “We are experts in medications and can answer any questions patients have about their medication therapy.”

The first service, opened Feb. 8, 2022, is the Antithrombotic Management Serice that will help patients with their blood thinners. Normally, blood flows through arteries and veins smoothly, but if a clot blocks the smooth flow of blood the result can be serious and sometimes deadly. Diseases arising from clots in blood vessels include heart attack and stroke, among others. There are an array of medications that can be used to prevent and treat clots, known as antithrombotic medications or blood thinners. The most common are warfarin, Eliquis®, Xarelto®, and Savaysa®. The pharmacist at Pardee’s Antithrombotic Management Service works with the patient’s whole healthcare team to manage blood thinners by checking necessary labs associated with the blood thinner (sometimes as a finger stick with a fast result), checking for drug interactions with the blood thinner, helping with the cost of the blood thinner, adjusting the blood thinner dose as needed, and teaching patients how to safely manage their blood thinner at home, in-between visits with the pharmacist.

After a patient is diagnosed with a condition by a provider, if they are then prescribed medication for that condition, if applicable that provider can send a referral to Pardee Hospital Pharmacy Medication Management Clinic. For more information about the clinic and its services visit pardeehospital.org/care-treatment/medication-management-clinic/ or call 828-694-7650.