Please click on the image to read the article, “Ten top tips: Reviewing patients on established DOAC treatment” Xarelto is also used with aspirin to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, and stroke in patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) or peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, Xarelto should not be prescribed to patients who are at high risk of bleeding. Xarelto may be prescribed during hospitalization and after discharge in adult patients who are at risk for complications due to restricted mobility and other risk factors. Xarelto can prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) and VTE-related death. Berger noted the differences, saying:Įliquis and Xarelto have several indications that are the same-to reduce the risk of stroke and embolism in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AFib, or irregular heartbeat), prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients who have had hip or knee replacement, treat DVT, treat PE, and to reduce the risk of recurrent DVT or PE following initial therapy.Īdditionally, Xarelto has two more indications. However, although both Eliquis and Xarelto are DOACs and from a lay perspective are essentially the same, Ms. Both drugs are used by adults, and the dosage varies by indication. Xarelto is made by Janssen Pharmaceuticals. No generic is available yet for either drug however, a generic Eliquis should be available soon. Both Eliquis and Xarelto are known as factor Xa inhibitors, but they have some differences.Įliquis and Xarelto are both approved by the FDA for prescription use and are available in brand name only. Unlike Coumadin (warfarin), a popular and older anticoagulant, patients taking Eliquis or Xarelto do not need regular blood tests to monitor levels. They are also known as DOAC (direct oral anticoagulants). noted the similarities between the two medications:Įliquis (apixaban) and Xarelto (rivaroxaban) are NOACs (novel oral anticoagulants), which are a group of newer blood thinners. In her analysis of Eliquis and Xarelto, Karen Berger, Pharm.D. ![]() This means that CVS Caremark has decided that Xarelto must be used by all such patients requiring a DOAC, even though none of these patients has a physician-patient relationship with CVS Caremark. Advantages of DOACs compared with VKAs include fewer monitoring requirements, less frequent follow‐up, more immediate drug onset and offset effects (important for periprocedural and acute bleeding management), and fewer drug and food interactions.”ĬVS Caremark’s decision to exclude Eliquis means that patients who are filling their prescriptions through CVS Caremark will need to transition to Xarelto® or be willing to pay 100% of the cost of Eliquis. Eliquis is indicated for the treatment of DVT and PE, and to reduce the risk of recurrent DVT and PE following initial therapy.” Eliquis is a Factor Xa inhibitor and is a Direct Oral Anticoagulant (DOAC).ĭOACs are considered a next-generation blood thinner as they have demonstrated “superiority or noninferiority to prior standards of care, anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists (VKA ie, warfarin), or low‐molecular‐weight heparins (LMWHs), in reducing the risk of thromboembolic complications with similar or reduced bleeding risk. Eliquis is “indicated to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with NVAF. Please follow our blog for updates on this issue.īy Michael Wong, JD (Founder & Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) Is CVS Caremark Illegally Practicing Medicine?īeginning in 2022, CVS Caremark (part of CVS Health) has excluded Eliquis® (apixaban) from the CVS Caremark Preferred Drug List. ![]() PPAHS understands that as of July 1, 2022, CVS Caremark will add apixaban (Eliquis®) back to its formulary, reversing its decision to non-medically switch thousands of patients using direct oral anticoagulants. In this opinion piece, Michael Wong, JD (Founder & Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) discusses these critical patient safety issues and asks patients and clinicians to let CVS know how they feel through two online petitions.įor an update on this issue and how you can voice your concerns to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), please go to the PPAHS blog for March 22. Editor’s note: The recent CVS Caremark decision to exclude Eliquis® (apixaban) from its Preferred Drug List raises critical patient safety issues about whether CVS is illegally practicing medicine and whether CVS actually cares about the patients it professes to serve.
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