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Pharmacy

Anticoagulation Clinic

Hours of Operation

Monday, Tuesday ,Wednesday and Friday, from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, from 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Contact

Phone:  814.234.6180
Fax:  814.234.6775

About the Anticoagulation Clinic

The Mount Nittany Medical Center Pharmacy operates a state-of-the-art anticoagulation clinic here in the Centre region. Currently located in Mount Nittany Medical Center’s Lance and Ellen Shaner Cancer Pavilion, our pharmacists work in conjunction with your physician to monitor and manage your anticoagulation therapy.

All of our pharmacists are trained in anticoagulation management, so they can provide our patients the individualized care that anticoagulant therapy requires. Our anticoagulation clinic operates instruments that require only a fingerstick of blood to measure your PT/INR. Lab results are obtained immediately.

Anticoagulation patient management is a “one stop” process: patients receive their results, dosing instructions, prescription refill and follow up visit appointment at the same time, all within minutes.

Disclaimer: This site is for informational purposes only and does not, itself, constitute medical advice. It is not a replacement for careful medical judgements by qualified medical personnel. There may be information in the site that does not apply to or may be inappropriate for the medical situation at hand.

Preparing for your visit

How long will it take?

Your first appointment will take about 1 hour. You should plan to arrive about 10 minutes before your first appointment so that you can register for your AC Clinic visit at the Lance and Ellen Shaner Cancer Pavilion reception desk (Patient Registration). Appointments after that will likely take less time (15-30 minutes). All clinic visits are by appointment. We will schedule your follow-up appointment at the end of each visit.

What happens when I come in?

At the first visit, we will take a brief medical history and explain how our service operates. At your other visits, we will ask you about any possible side effects that you may be having and also make sure there have not been any changes in your overall health or other medications. If you take warfarin (Coumadin), we will check your INR at each visit. Your INR is a measure of how well the warfarin (Coumadin) is working. The INR is measured by doing a quick fingerstick and obtaining a drop of blood. Your result is back in less than a minute! The clinic pharmacist will use your INR value to decide whether you will need to change the amount of medication you take. If you take other anticoagulants, a blood draw may be required.

How often do I need to come in for an appointment?

If you are just beginning your warfarin (Coumadin) therapy, you will need to come into the clinic one or two times a week to test your INR. The reason is that each patient responds to warfarin (Coumadin) differently and it is important to find the right dose for you. You will need to come in less often (sometimes once a month or longer) when your warfarin (Coumadin) dose becomes stable or if you take another anticoagulant. If you are already taking warfarin (Coumadin), we will determine how frequently you need to come in based on your previous history of INR and dose adjustments. All patients who go on other medications that can affect how warfarin (Coumadin) works may be asked to come in more frequently.

Where do I go?

Come to Entrance E of the main hospital building, which is the Lance and Ellen Shaner Cancer Pavilion Entrance. Tell the reception desk (patient registration) personnel that you are here for your first visit to the Pharmacy Anticoagulation Clinic. If you are unable to keep your appointment, please call Central Scheduling at (814) 234-6106 to reschedule as soon as possible. Failure to keep appointments and follow instructions can result in serious health risks and/or termination from our program.

What should I bring?

  • A list of current medications and their doses
  • Your physician’s order for treatment (if given to you)
  • Insurance card(s)
  • Photo ID
  • If the patient is a minor (under 18 years of age), a parent or guardian must come to authorize treatment.