Medication Safety Issues
Dabigatran may be confused with vigabatrin
Pradaxa may be confused with Plavix
This medication is in a class the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) includes among its list of drug classes which have a heightened risk of causing significant patient harm when used in error.
The Joint Commission (TJC) requires healthcare organizations that provide anticoagulant therapy to have approved protocols and evidence-based practice guidelines in place to reduce the risk of anticoagulant-associated patient harm. Patients receiving anticoagulants should receive individualized care through a defined process that includes medication selection, dosing (including adjustments for age, renal function, or liver function), drug-drug interactions, drug-food interactions, other applicable risk factors, monitoring, patient and family education, proper administration, reversal of anticoagulation, management of bleeding events, and perioperative management. This does not apply to routine short-term use of anticoagulants for prevention of venous thromboembolism during procedures or hospitalizations (NPSG.03.05.01).
Beers Criteria: Dabigatran is identified in the Beers Criteria as a potentially inappropriate medication to be used with caution for the treatment of VTE or atrial fibrillation in patients 75 years and older due to an increased risk of GI bleeding compared to warfarin and to reported rates of other direct oral anticoagulants when used for long-term treatment of VTE or atrial fibrillation (Beers Criteria [AGS 2019]).
