If you’re on a blood thinning medication, your blood clotting time (INR) needs to be monitored regularly to ensure that your medication dosage is safe and effective.

In the past, that meant going to a busy blood lab once a week and then waiting for your doctor to get the test results and to contact you if any changes were required.

Now, some of our Family Health Team pharmacists and physicians are working together to provide a convenient, one-stop monitoring program. Specially trained pharmacists use a finger prick blood test that provides immediate results. They can then adjust your medication as required, in minutes rather than days, and in a single appointment.

The pharmacists record all patient visits in an electronic medical record that’s shared with the physician, so that your doctor always knows the status of your treatment.

If you are eligible for this program, your family physician’s office or the pharmacy team will contact you.

This service is sponsored by the GPHSF, Your Family Health Team Foundation.