If you’ve had a heart attack or surgery, your doctor may prescribe blood thinning medication, called anticoagulants, to help prevent blood clots from forming or growing larger.  

At Providence St. Peter Hospital Anticoagulation Clinic, we monitor you continually while you are taking blood thinners. We work closely with your doctor to make sure your medication is working correctly and to prevent complications like hemorrhaging or stroke. 

The Providence St. Peter Anticoagulation Clinic is an outpatient facility that provides convenient care and monitoring for people taking blood thinner medication to help prevent blood clots from forming or from growing larger. 

Our anticoagulation services include

  • Administration of anticoagulants
  • Communication with your physician regarding your care
  • Coordination of referrals to our clinic through your physician
  • Home INR monitors, if you qualify
  • Immediate fingerstick test results at time of visit
  • Individual patient education
  • Ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment of your medicine as needed
  • Private consultation with a pharmacist at each visit
  • Review of medication for safety, drug interactions and effectiveness
Anemia evaluation and treatment

If your doctor prescribes it, our pharmacists will evaluate you for anemia — a medical condition that can cause fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness or irregular heartbeat. 

Blood management 

At Providence St. Peter Anticoagulation Clinic, we offer blood management services, sometimes called blood conservation. This means we try to conserve enough of your own blood during medical treatments and procedures to reduce or eliminate the need for a blood transfusion. To conserve blood, we may use special techniques to control bleeding and promote new blood cell growth, administer vitamins and medications and offer microsampling (taking only a minimum amount of blood for testing purposes). 

Blood transfusion alternatives

Many patients require blood transfusions due to surgery, anemia and cancer treatments. Transfusions can be an essential tool to help you recover. Some people refuse blood transfusions for ethical, religious or personal reasons. If you are an adult and have chosen not to receive blood transfusions, ask your doctor to find out what options are available for you. 

Living with Warfarin

If your doctor prescribes blood thinner medicine, you probably have many questions. Watch our video Living with Warfarin for valuable information about blood testing, diet, exercise and signs of complications.

Taking injectable anticoagulants 

If you are taking an injectable blood thinner, it’s important to take your medicine exactly as instructed. This video Injectable Anticoagulants shows you how to give yourself the injection, possible side-effects and signs and symptoms of clotting and bleeding.