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Dabigatran
- the first new ORAL anticoagulant in over 50 years
- is a direct thrombin inhibitor
- Indicated for reducing strokes and systemic embolism in patients with a fib
- DOES NOT need monitoring and frequent dose adjustments
- Has fewer drug and food interactions than warfarin
- Costs about $8/day (more than the cost of warfarin PLUS monitoring)
- Both warfarin and dabigatran have a similar OVERALL bleeding risk, but warfarin causes more intracranial bleeding and dabigatran more GI bleeding
References
Pharmacist's Letter: November 2010; Vol: 26, No. 11