Blood Thinner

[usdart]

After my Heart attack a Stent was put in to help a 100% blockage.

I went to the VA afterwards to discuss all this with my Healthcare team. We went over the new Meds I will need and all went well except for the blood thinner that I was told I MUST continue to keep the platelets from sticking to the Stent.

My VA doc says he does not prescribe that med.

It costs like $340.00 a month and I have to have it. Now what do I do? Can I ask for a review or something?

[georgiapapa]

usdart,

Was the cardiologist who implanted your stent a VA cardiologist? If it was a VA cardiologist, you should have them contact your VA PCP and order a medication that meets the requirements of the cardiologist. I believe they can get medications not on the VA formulary if it is requested by a VA cardiologist.

If the cardiologist was not a VA cardiologist, you may be out of luck if the medication is not on the VA formulary and your VA PCP is not willing to check with a VA cardiologist for approval to order off of the formulary. You could ask your VA PCP for an immediate consult with a VA cardiologist and then ask the VA cardiologist if they can help you get the medication prescribed by your private cardiologist. If they will not, ask for the name of a suitable substitute on the VA formulary. If the VA cardiologist suggests a substitute on the VA formulary, check with your private cardiologist to see if the suggested substitute is acceptable. If your private cardiologist is not in agreement, I would pay out of pocket and go with the medication suggested by your private cardiologist. I have IHD with 3 stents and a pacemaker and I have a lot more confidence in the opinion of my private cardiologist over any VA cardiologist. Just my opinion.

Georgiapapa.

[Berta]

I dont get it.

Is the 100 % for the heart disease? Is it service connected ?

"My VA doc says he does not prescribe that med.??? Is he a cardiologist?

It costs like $340.00 a month and I have to have it. Now what do I do? Can I ask for a review or something?"

What is the medication"?

"Pharmacy Anticoagulation Clinic

The Pharmacy Anticoagulation Clinic at the Detroit VA Medical Center is a service with the purpose of assisting patients taking Coumadin (warfarin), Pradaxa (dabigatran), Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) or other blood thinners. These medications help prevent blood clots/strokes and require extensive medical management and monitoring. The clinic is located within the VA medical center and is staffed by clinical pharmacist specialists. The pharmacists, working in conjunction with your physician, will check your blood test and adjust the dose of your blood thinner as needed. The pharmacists also complete medication reviews and provide education to patients regarding drug interactions with other medications and specific food items.

http://www.detroit.va.gov/services/Pharmacy_Anticoagulation_Clinic.asp"

This article from the VA web site states:
"Sarrazin and her colleagues identified some 85,000 VA patients with atrial fibrillation. During the next 15 months, 1,394, or about 1.7 percent, switched from warfarin to dabigatran. Those Veterans tended to be slightly younger and were less likely to have kidney disease. They were also more likely to be rural. Of those 1,394 patients, 131 had a major bleeding event and 49 died. Among the rest of the population there were more than 10,000 bleeding events and nearly 7,000 deaths. "

http://www.research.va.gov/currents/spring2014/spring2014-29.cfm

My point is what does the VA mean by saying they cant prescribe it........

Personally I think any vet who gets Medicare, should get their cardio care from a non VA cardiologist.

A VA cardio doc, many years ago, told me after an ECHO had been done, that there was "nothing" wrong with my husband's heart.

I found out (and proved to the VA) that he was lying to cover up significant cardio malpractice at another VAMC.

The research VA hyperlink also has many interesting articles on how advanced VA tries to get ibn many medical areas. Their health care is definiteluy NOT always lousy.
But this article caught my eye.

"Twelve million patients misdiagnosed yearly in America, says VA researcher"

July 18, 2014

http://www.research.va.gov/currents/summer2014/summer2014-8.cfm

The 12 Million is an educated guess on ALL American patients. We need to keep an eye on our medical care, no matter where it comes from.

If VA had told my husband he had major heart disease, and they knew it long before he died, he could have gotten a real cardio doc on Medicare and would probably be here this morning instead of me. He was very active on the post -1994 vet sites and there sure were not many of them then.

[Buck52]

Why should it matter to that Doc what the med cost?

I certainly would tell the hospital Admin about that and bring in the media if this veteran don't get the meds he needs,

& do it soon!

The media found out how the Veterans in the Phoenix VAMC were treated (in the same manner and long waits to be medically seen)and lots of VA employees lost there jobs.

This kind of stuff needs to stop!

Edited February 10, 2015 by Buck52

[usdart]

It is called "efferent" or at least that's what it sounds like.

I think I will contact Myhealthevet via secure messaging and ask them to tell me why I cannot get it. Then I can go back to my Private Doc and ask him to write the reasons I have to have it and go from there.

[georgiapapa]

The medication is probably "Effient." This is the same medication my cardiologist kept me on for one year after my last stent was implanted.