Non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants and laboratory testing: now and in the future

In contrast to vitamin K antagonists, no routine coagulation monitoring is required in patients taking non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants (NOACs). However, dosing must take into account factors such as patient age, renal function, and accompanying haemorrhagic risk. There has been considerable debate about when laboratory measurement might be appropriate and which tests should be used. A workshop at the European Medicines Agency recently discussed the evidence about laboratory measurement from formal studies, clinical experience, and the multiple perspectives on NOAC treatment, and considered how our knowledge might be further enhanced.