Anticoagulant Medication: Warfarin 1 mg tablets contain the active ingredient warfarin sodium, an oral anticoagulant commonly known as a “blood thinner.”
Low Dose: This is a low-dose formulation, often used for initiating therapy, dose adjustments, or maintenance in patients requiring subtle anticoagulation.
Formulation: It is an oral tablet designed to be swallowed.
Mechanism Focus: It works by interfering with the body’s vitamin K cycle, which is essential for producing certain blood clotting factors.
Color-Coded: Warfarin tablets are typically color-coded by strength for easier identification, though the specific color for 1 mg can vary by manufacturer.
Advantages
Effective Long-Term Anticoagulation: Highly effective for chronic prevention of blood clots in various cardiovascular conditions.
Oral Administration: Convenient for long-term use at home, improving patient adherence compared to injectable anticoagulants.
Reversible Effect: Its anticoagulant action can be reversed with Vitamin K1 (Phytomenadione) or prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs) in cases of bleeding or overdose.
Cost-Effective: Generally more affordable than many newer oral anticoagulants.
Extensive Experience: Has a long history of clinical use with extensive research and established protocols.
Uses
Prevention of Thromboembolism: Widely used to prevent the formation of dangerous blood clots (thrombi) and subsequent emboli.
Atrial Fibrillation: Prescribed to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with non-valvular and valvular atrial fibrillation.
Prosthetic Heart Valves: Essential for preventing clot formation on mechanical prosthetic heart valves.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE): Used for the treatment of existing DVT and PE, and for the secondary prevention of recurrence.
Post-Myocardial Infarction: May be used in select patients after a heart attack to reduce the risk of further cardiovascular events.
Nature
Vitamin K Antagonist (VKA): Warfarin is an indirect anticoagulant classified as a Vitamin K Antagonist (VKA).
Mechanism of Action: It acts by inhibiting Vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 (VKORC1), an enzyme crucial for reactivating Vitamin K. By doing so, it depletes the functional forms of Vitamin K in the liver.
Inhibition of Clotting Factor Synthesis: This depletion prevents the liver from producing fully active forms of several vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors: Factors II (prothrombin), VII, IX, and X, as well as the anticoagulant proteins Protein C and Protein S.
Delayed Onset: Because it inhibits the synthesis of new clotting factors rather than directly inactivating existing ones, its full anticoagulant effect is delayed (typically 2-3 days) until pre-existing active factors are cleared from circulation.
Narrow Therapeutic Index: Warfarin has a narrow therapeutic window, meaning the effective dose is close to the dose that causes side effects, necessitating careful monitoring of the International Normalized Ratio (INR).
Storage
Temperature: Store Warfarin Tablets 1 mg at controlled room temperature, typically between 20∘C to 25∘C (68∘F to 77∘F).
Protection: Keep the tablets in their original, tightly closed container, protected from light and moisture.
Consistency: Avoid storing in humid environments like bathrooms, as moisture can affect tablet stability.
Child Safety:Keep completely out of the sight and reach of children and pets due to the serious risk of accidental overdose and internal bleeding.
Check Expiry Date: Always check the expiry date on the packaging and do not use the medication beyond this date.
