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Margaritaville's avatar
Nov 14, 2016

Coumadin tests in Florida

Hello Snowbirds, I'm wondering where snowbirds in Florida go to have their PT tests done. Being in Florida for three months, I need to have my Coumadin level tested several times. Where do you go? Thanks in advance.
  • It was always a hassle until I now got set up to test my own at home with a finger stick. Then I call in the result and it is relayed to my Dr. It's great on the road and at home. Insurance pays for all of it. Before that I usually went to a hospital lab but it seldom went smoothly. Usually the lab would say they faxed it to Dr. and the Dr. office would say, Nope didn't get it.
  • When I took Coumadin, my Doctor wrote out 12 prescriptions for me to cover 6 months between my appointments, so I had enough for 2 weeks in between tests if needed. When I was due for a test I went to Lab Corp, only left their system once in 6 years and then went to a rural hospital/clinic's lab and had the results called in to my Doctor. Worked for me all across the country, east to west and north to south.
  • Margaritaville wrote:
    Hello Snowbirds, I'm wondering where snowbirds in Florida go to have their PT tests done. Being in Florida for three months, I need to have my Coumadin level tested several times. Where do you go? Thanks in advance.


    Just go to your regular clinic before you head out for the winter and ask them to write a "standing order" for you to take when on the road. Once you get to your location, you can just call a local hospital and they will direct you to the nearest coumadin lab testing facility. Some times the local hospital has their own lab to do your coumadin test. When you go into lab, show them the "standing order" BUT do not let the lab keep it as you will need if you go onto another destination.
  • Florida probably has the highest percentage of people needing that testing, I'm sure there are labs all over the place.
  • You should perhaps, with your doc, investigate the alternative medications for reducing stroke risk. There are a number and they do NOT require INR testing. I just changed to Eliquos and I truly don't miss the weekly trip to get poked! As I understand the situation there are four such medications. They manage coagulation rate in a different way than Warfarin ergo, no ongoing coagulation rate testing. Some of these medications do have unfavourable reactions with some heart medications.

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