Practical management of patients on apixaban: a consensus guide.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common tachyarrhythmia in Australia, with a prevalence over 10% in older patients. AF is the leading preventable cause of ischaemic stroke, and strokes due to AF have a higher mortality and morbidity. Stroke prevention is therefore a key management strategy for AF patients, in addition to rate and rhythm control. Anticoagulation with warfarin has been an enduring gold standard for stroke prevention in NVAF patients. In Australia, three novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs), apixaban, dabigatran and rivaroxaban are now approved and reimbursed for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular AF (NVAF). International European Cardiology guidelines now recommend either a NOAC or warfarin for NVAF patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥2, unless contraindicated. Apixaban is a direct factor Xa inhibitor with a 12-hour half-life and 25% renal excretion that was found in a large trial of NVAF patients to be superior to warfarin in preventing stroke or systemic embolism. In this trial population, apixaban also resulted in less bleeding and a lower mortality rate than warfarin. METHODS: Clinical experience with apixaban outside of clinical trials has been limited, and there is currently little evidence to guide the management of bleeding or invasive procedures in patients taking apixaban. The relevant currently available animal and ex vivo human data were collected, analyzed and summarized. RESULTS: This multi-disciplinary consensus statement has been written to serve as a guide for healthcare practitioners prescribing apixaban in Australia, with a focus on acute and emergency management. CONCLUSIONS: The predictable pharmacokinetics and minimal drug interactions of apixaban should allow for safe anticoagulation in the majority of patients, including temporary interruption for elective procedures. In the absence of published data, patients actively bleeding on apixaban should receive standard supportive treatment. Quantitative assays of apixaban level such as chromogenic anti-Xa assays are becoming available but their utility is unproven in this setting. Specific antidotes for novel anticoagulants, including apixaban, are in clinical development.

Drug treatment and cost of cardiovascular disease in Australia.

Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme supports the use of effective drugs for the prevention and control of cardiovascular risk factors. However, there are little data available describing per person costs of medication in primary prevention and secondary prevention in the community. We aim to understand annual expenditure on cardiovascular medicines according to the level and extent of cardiovascular disease, using participants enrolled in the Reduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health (REACH) registry. 2873 participants were recruited into the REACH registry through 273 Australian general practices. Cardiovascular medicines review was undertaken at baseline. Average weighted costs of medications were estimated using government-reimbursed prices. Annual costs were stratified by disease extent and location. The annual mean cost of pharmaceuticals per person was 1307 AU dollars. The average reported medicine use per person across all states and participants groups varied significantly. Participants with cerebrovascular or peripheral arterial disease were prescribed less cardiovascular medication than those with coronary artery disease (CAD) (mean number of drugs 3.5 vs. 4.5, P < 0.0001) and (3.6 vs. 4.5, P < 0.0001), while those with risk factor alone had the same medication use as those with CAD (mean number 4.5). Medication use was lower in Western Australia in comparison to eastern States. Participants with existing cerebrovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease receive less preventive therapy than those with CAD or even risk factors alone. This observation is consistent across all mainland states. Given the evidence of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of treating all types of vascular diseases, the present study suggests that there is scope to improve the treatment of these high-risk participants in Australia.