NOACs at risk of drug interactions — MMP

A high prevalence of patients on new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are at risk of drug interactions and an increased risk of major bleeding, the HSE Medicines Management Programme has warned. Concerns have been raised regarding the clinical use of NOACs — dabigatran etexilate, rivaroxaban and apixaban — including the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in elderly patients and where interacting drugs are co-prescribed, says the MMP. Therefore, Dr Susan Spillane, Sarah Clarke and Prof Michael Barry — all of the HSE MMP — decided to investigate prescribing patterns of NOACs in Ireland between January to October 2013. Dr Spillane told…