'Warfarin is a very special drug,' the clinic's pharmacist, Grace Chow Man-chi, said.

'It can interact with many other drugs, traditional Chinese medicine and common food, which can endanger the patients. Therefore, closer monitoring is needed.'

'Patients usually have to wait three to six months to see the doctor in the hospital's general out-patient clinic. Our services can monitor their health condition better.'

In one case, a 78-year-old woman took painkillers to relieve her joint pain.

But certain kinds of non-steroid painkiller can have a high chance of interfering with the Warfarin and causing significant bleeding complications.

After the drug consultation, the woman was prescribed a safer alternative to relieve her pain.

So far, the clinic has handled 61 patients. None of them has had a major bleeding incident.

The occurrence rate of harmful blood clots of patients in the pharmacist-managed clinic is 50 per cent lower than those patients in the general out-patient clinic who are taking Warfarin.

Also, it is estimated that the hospital is saving about HK$250,000 a year as result of fewer admissions of the patients, because with better education and monitoring of their drug use they are able to better manage their condition.

Tsim Yiu-lam, 53, who has taken Warfarin for three years, said the pharmacist had provided him with useful drug education.

He knows how to avoid certain food and drugs to prevent harmful interaction with Warfarin.

'The pharmacists are very professional,' he said.

'The doctors are very busy, so they sometimes can't explain too much in detail and I usually have to wait for a long time to see them.

'I mainly come to the clinic to take the new course of drug. It doesn't really need to use up the doctors' precious time.'