Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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249. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to administer warfarin from local health clinics in view of the cost and inconvenience to persons having to travel to and from hospitals [45439/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Warfarin is a medication to prevent at risk patients developing cardiovascular events due to blood clotting. In most cases, warfarin is prescribed to patients in the first instance in a hospital setting. Thereafter, the international normalized ratio (INR), i.e. taking of blood samples in order to titrate patients' warfarin dosages, is monitored on an ongoing basis in either a hospital setting or in general practice.

The HSE is currently considering plans to move much of the INR activity from hospitals to primary care settings, where appropriate and subject to appropriate clinical governance arrangements being in place.