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VA initiative reduces harmful prescription combinations

VA Research News Briefs

VA initiative reduces harmful prescription combinations Photo ©iStock/smartstock

(07/02/2026) Antiplatelet medication such as low-dose aspirin is often overprescribed in patients also taking direct oral anticoagulants, increasing the risk of major bleeding. To address this, VA implemented a two-stage initiative involving clinician and patient education alongside an electronic health records tool to promote evidence-based prescribing, followed by an electronic dashboard with flags to alert pharmacists of potentially harmful drug combinations. VA Ann Arbor researchers and their colleagues compared outcomes for Veterans at seven VA sites, implementing the initiative with Veterans at 128 control sites. The intervention led to a drop in antiplatelet medication from 26.1% to 17.9%, with the greatest benefit seen in patients with stable coronary artery disease. This quality improvement initiative not only lowered the risk of dangerous bleeding in Veterans on blood thinners by reducing unnecessary aspirin use, but could potentially be scaled to reduce other harmful drug combinations as well. (JAMA Internal Medicine, Jun. 22,2026)



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