Glyn Davies, Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire, is calling on the Government to make International Normalised Ratio (INR) self-monitoring devices available on prescription for people on long-term warfarin.
Glyn Davies recently met representatives of the Anticoagulation Self-Monitoring Alliance (ACSMA) whose primary objectives are to raise awareness of the possibilities of self-monitoring and to make the devices available on prescription.
During the meeting, much of the discussion focused on how many people on long-term warfarin are receiving conflicting, misguided or simply incorrect information or advice from their GPs and/or their local Clinical Commissioning Group about the options for self-monitoring their blood clotting level. ACSMA state that patients are currently being denied the opportunity to self-monitor, or are being told that they will not be allowed to self-monitor in the future.
ACSMA are promoting self-monitoring devices as a safe, convenient and an accurate way to provide a blood clotting level, and which will take less than a minute to complete. ACSMA believe this will save the person going to a hospital or their doctor’s surgery, which can take several hours at a time.
There are more than 1.2 million people on long-term warfarin in the UK, but only an estimated 2% of these are currently self-monitoring, despite evidence that it can cut the risk of death by nearly two-fifths and more than halve the risk of strokes. Studies show that if just one in four of these people self-monitored, the NHS could save up to £62 million a year.
Speaking about self-monitoring for warfarin patients, Glyn Davies said:
“It really is a win-win situation; a win for the NHS as it will help them to reduce potentially life threatening numbers of stroke and save money, and a win for the patient as it increases their independence and encourages empowerment to control their long-term health condition.
“Patient self-monitoring enables patients to test at home and liaise with their doctor or nurse by telephone, email, text or fax, therefore saving both the patient and their healthcare professional valuable time. It would be hugely beneficial to make these devices available on prescription, as it will potentially aid over a million people on long-term warfarin.”
For further information on ACSMA, please contact Mark Hill on tel: 01707 330033 or email at the following address: [email protected]
