Underprescribing of oral anticoagulant therapy in frail, elderly patients: A look into depression, cognitive impairment, and fall risk

My project was a comprehensive review, assessing the risks and benefits related with anticoagulation use in vulnerable patient populations, such as those with depression, cognitive impairment, and fall risk. At the moment, many providers under-prescribe these blood thinners for patients, in fear of them developing an internal bleed. However, our research showed that this risk of bleed is actually minimal, compared to the benefits associated with anticoagulation medications.

My fellow group members and I were thankful to note that our research was very well-received. We were able to share our findings with many esteemed students and professionals in our field, many of whom were quite surprised and fascinated by the conclusions of our research. As my sub-section of the project was concerned with depression, I found that many people did not realize that when patients are depressed, they often don’t take their medications or will over-eat/under-eat. This puts them at much greater risk for harm; however, despite this risk, it is still more important to prescribe anticoagulants.

One of the biggest insights I gained from this conference was a high level perspective on the pharmacy industry. While in class, our attentions are mainly devoted towards learning textbook information and medications. But when attending this conference, I saw thousands of professionals using this material in the real world. I was able to attend a pharmaceutical expo, with representatives from nearly every company sharing on recently approved medications. These are the medications that will make up the textbooks of the future! I also had the opportunity to speak with professors, industry fellows, and hospital residents, who are using their education to better the lives of real people. This conference reinforced my passion for this industry, and my desire to develop new drug therapies for those with unmet medical needs.

Conference Travel Fund Blog Post by Nidhi Madhavaiya
Candidate for Doctor of Pharmacy ’19