Improving safe use of blood thinners

Medication safety is essential to prevent harm and ensure patients receive the right treatment at the right time.

Blood thinner medicines (anticoagulants) are an effective treatment to help prevent serious conditions like stroke and blood clots, but they must be used carefully to avoid harm.

To help keep patients safe, the District has launched a project, called the Optimising Anticoagulant Medicines Project, that is focused on improving how blood thinners are prescribed and used in our hospitals.

After noticing some errors in use of these medicines, the team developed a smart audit tool. This tool checks how well current prescribing practices match up with clinical guidelines.

A new report in the electronic medical record system (Cerner eMR) brings together important patient information to help assess whether blood thinners are being used appropriately. This data is then analysed using a decision-making tool to highlight any cases that don’t follow best practice.

Right now, the team is working with doctors and other staff to build an easy-to-use interface. This will allow clinicians to quickly see which patients might need a review of their medication. By catching these cases early, adjustments to treatment can be made before any harm occurs.

The first trial of this new system will take place at St George Hospital, with plans to gradually roll it out across all hospitals in the District. Staff will receive training and ongoing support to make the most of this tool.

The data collected will also help identify areas where extra education or training is needed, and track improvements over time. This means we can continue to make our hospitals safer and ensure patients receive the best possible care.

5 August 2025