NOAC (Novel Oral Anticoagulant) medications are used to help prevent clots. They’re given to people who are at a high risk of getting blood clots, to reduce their chances of developing serious conditions. If a blood clot blocks the flow of blood through a blood vessel, the affected part of the body will become starved of oxygen and will stop working properly. NOACs can also be used in the management of venous thromboembolism, which is when a blood clot forms in a vein.

Depending on where the clot forms, this can lead to serious problems such as:

• strokes or transient ischaemic attacks (“mini-strokes”)
• heart attacks
• deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• pulmonary embolism

What is anticoagulant medication?

Anticoagulant medication may be recommended if you’ve had blood clots in the past or you’ve been diagnosed with a condition such as Atrial Fibrillation (AF). Anticoagulant medication helps to prevent harmful blood clots from forming in your blood vessels by making your blood take longer to clot, or by affecting the way in which clotting occurs.

Warfarin for many years has been the most commonly prescribed anticoagulant but it requires frequent blood tests and careful monitoring.

NOACs (Novel oral anticoagulants) are a newer type of anticoagulant and are becoming increasingly common. They do not require routine INR (International Normalised Ratio) blood test monitoring. NOACs require an annual blood test to check Full blood count, Liver function, Urea and electrolytes and Serum creatinine. This may be more frequent if there is a clinical need. In addition, patients are required to have their weight checked annually in order for us to ensure that the prescribed dose is correct.

These medications are:

• rivaroxaban (Xarelto)
• dabigatran (Pradaxa)
• apixaban (Eliquis)
• edoxaban (Lixiana)

For more information on NOAC (also known as DOAC – Direct Oral Anticoagulant) visit:

British Heart Foundation – Heart Matters

NHS UK – Anticoagulant Medicines

What should I do when prescribed a NOAC

When you start on a NOAC the practice will provide you with a Patient Information Leaflet. Please make sure you take the time to read the leaflet as the information enclosed will help with understanding your medication and answer a number of questions you may. It is also advisable to keep the leaflet safe for future reference if needed.