The ups and downs of anticoagulation prescription in the United Kingdom

Anticoagulation management has had several success stories in the United Kingdom. This country was one of the first to implement rigorous thromboprophylaxis measures to reduce the risk of hospital acquired thrombosis. More recently, with the arrival of direct oral anticoagulants, active screening for atrial fibrillation has been made a priority nationwide. Also, better awareness of the signs and symptoms of venous thromboembolism means patients are getting the best treatment early, thus preventing complications. Despite all these positive efforts, some aspects of anticoagulation therapy have been recently noted to represent problem areas, which will be discussed in this review.