Warfarin

[Grouser]

I am currently taking Warfarin to thin my blood and may need a blood test to check my INR whilst in Spain for a couple of weeks. Any advice on going about this would be appreciated. There is a chemist in the village and a health centre in the nearest town.

[Lyric]

Lady in apartment next to ours visits for six weeks before and six weeks after Christmas. She is taking rat poison and goes to the health center for her blood tests. I assume that she is doing this on the EHIC card but not certain.
This comes under the Nerja Helth Center's administration.
If you desire I could acertain.

[Miro]

Can't add anything really, except that the equivalent here is called Sintrom. Might make it easier to explain what you need when enquiring at the health centre.

[Grouser]

Thanks for your replies. My nearest health centre is at Benamargosa so I presume they would be able to do it there. I have heard that some pharmacies are also able to do blood tests. Any further information on this and also turn around times for results would be most appreciated. Thanks again

[Lyric]

Routine results at our doctors tend to take one week or less. I will contact my neighbours and find out what happens to them. I know it's Frigiliana but broadly things should be similar although this IS Spain.!

[Grouser]

That sounds rather disturbing as INR tests for warfarin need to be returned on the same day so that the dose can be adjusted to keep the blood at the correct thinness

[Miro]

Pharmacies do blood tests for the likes of cholesterol etc., but not to my knowledge for sintrom /warfarin. For this you have to go to a dedicated sintrom clinic, where the results are indeed given to you right away. The Hospital Clinico in Malaga has a daily sintrom clinic (it's bedlam), and I believe local clinics do the testing as well, but you would have to enquire locally to find out where/when.

[Lyric]

My neighbours have now responded. She had to register as a short term resident at the local health center. As "Mowser" will testify it is quite small, just two doctors and a small nurse department.
She has her INR checked there, they use the same machine that they use in the UK with instant results.
I am sorry for any rubbish I have posted, not being a Warfarin user I didn't know it was a special blood test. If Frigiliana is suitably equipped I expect most places will be.

[Grouser]

Thanks for your replies. That's quite reassuring

[Grouser]

Just an update in case anyone else has a similar problem in future, After some hassle explaining things in various places I discovered that I could get the INR test done at the local consultario by the nurse there, using a machine that gave an instant diagnosis. They will only do it provided your last INR reading is between 2 and 3 and you have arranged to telephone home for your dosage. These provisos only apply to non residents of course. You need to produce your health card, passport and the paper showing your last INR reading.