Warfarin care program

For the convenience of regular referring doctors Mater Pathology offers a Warfarin care program for your patients.

Application for Warfarin care program

Mater Pathology operates the Warfarin care program from Monday to Friday 9.30 am to 6 pm and can be contacted on 07 3163 8378.

To enrol a patient please read our policy information below, then complete all the details on the enrolment form and fax to 07 3163 3440 with a signed Rule 3 Exemption request form. Please also contact Warfarin care to confirm that fax has been received on 07 3163 8378. Please advise your patient that a Mater Pathology Warfarin care program staff member will contact them after discharge from hospital and that they will receive same day enrolment.

We have dedicated staff who will answer any questions you may have, in order to assist your patients with their Warfarin monitoring, and provide ongoing patient support and education through a dedicated patient support telephone service 07 3163 8378.
 

Enrolment fee structure

Enrolment into our Warfarin care program attracts an annual fee:

• no charge (Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander and nursing home residents)
• $125 (Pensioners, Health Care card holders)
• $250 (all other patients)

There is also an annual maintenance fee of $60 for pensioners and $120 for all other patients. Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander patients are not charged an annual fee.
 

Enrolment policy

Mater Pathology will only accept patients into our Warfarin care program if there is regular communication with the patient’s general practitioner. If their general practitioner does not regularly refer to Mater Pathology, we have the right not to enrol the patient, or to discontinue the enrolment of the patient.

For patient safety reasons please assess your patient's eligibility according to our Eligibility criteria and Enrolment steps below before enrolling them into our program.
 

Eligibility criteria

Patients who wish to be enrolled in our program must meet the eligibility criteria at the time of enrolment and continue to meet eligibility criteria for the duration of their enrolment. Failure to do so will result in non-compliant patients being returned to their general practitioner's care for Warfarin.

To be eligible for enrolment your patient must:

• be taking Warfarin (not Dindevan medication)
• have a minimum enrolment period of one month
• have a general practitioner who regularly refers their patients to Mater Pathology. This includes patients recently discharged from hospital.
• have a valid mailing address and be contactable by phone
• be able to comprehend and record verbal and/or written dose instructions (or have a carer who can do so)
• be able to comply with dose instructions (or have a carer who can comply)
• be able to attend for testing on scheduled dates, subject to exceptional circumstances
• not have been discharged from a Warfarin care program due to non-compliance
• not require a narrow target range (less than 0.5)
• not require daily INR levels
• not require acute care
• be respectful to all Mater Pathology staff
   

Enrolment steps

Before enrolment, please:

• assess your patient’s eligibility for the Warfarin care program, according to the eligibility criteria above, and
• provide your patient with adequate dosing instructions and dietary recommendations appropriate for that of a patient taking Warfarin. Once enrolment is finalised a Mater Pathology Warfarin care officer will notify you and your patient that the enrolment has been completed. Please allow at least one business day.

The completed enrolment application form (all sections must be completed) must be faxed to the Mater Pathology Warfarin care clinic on 07 3163 3440. Please retain the original enrolment application for future reference. If you have not received enrolment confirmation within one business day, please call the Mater Pathology Warfarin care clinic on  07 3163 8378.  

Forms

Mater Pathology Request Form
Warfarin Care Program Enrolment Application Form
Discharge Summary Information Request Form

The referring doctor must manage the patient’s heparin therapy, including low molecular weight heparin such as Clexane. Heparin therapy (UF or LMWH) should continue until the INR is in the therapeutic range for at least two consecutive days.
 

Home visit eligibility

To be eligible for a home visit, patients must first be registered by their general practitioner as requiring home care.

Mater Pathology will not commence enrolments on weekends, public holidays, or the day prior to a long weekend. Enrolments will be limited prior to Easter, Christmas and the New Year to allow safe transfer of your patient onto our program.

Enrolment in the Mater Pathology Warfarin care program is dependent on all parties—doctor, patient and laboratory—understanding and accepting their roles and responsibilities.