Table 3.

DOAC patient selection criteria

Criteria for DOAC use	Comment(s)
Patient preference for and willingness to take DOAC	Patients should be presented will all therapeutic options and their respective perceived advantages and disadvantages (See Table 2)
No contraindication to DOAC therapy	E.g. pregnancy, breastfeeding, mechanical heart valve
Adequate organ function	Clinicians should regularly monitor renal function, particularly for DOACs with greater reliance on renal elimination (see Tables 5, 6 and 12) and, if there are other factors that may increase DOAC exposure (e.g. age, unavoidable use of concomitant p-gp/CYP3A4 inhibitors). Avoid in moderate or severe hepatic dysfunction
No significant drug–drug interactions	See Tables 13 and 14 for detailed guidance Patients taking any anticoagulant with antiplatelet agents or NSAIDs have a significantly higher risk of bleeding. To minimize bleeding, avoid these drug combinations when possible
No significant disease state interactions	VTE patients with a history of GI bleeding or at risk for GI bleeding may be better candidates for warfarin, apixaban, or edoxaban, as there may be a higher risk of bleeding or GI adverse effects with dabigatran and rivaroxaban
Highly likely to be adherent with DOAC therapy and follow-up plan	See Table 4 for further details
Confirmed ability to obtain DOAC on a longitudinal basis from a financial, insurance coverage and retail availability standpoint	The drug costs of DOACs may be prohibitive for some patients, as compared with generic warfarin plus laboratory monitoring There are patient assistance programs available via the pharmaceutical companies, and this should be arranged prior to prescribing