Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in the United States. It is a complicated disease state involving an irregular heart rate and rhythm. AF generally affects the aging population and is classified as either valvular AF (VAF) or nonvalvular AF (NVAF). The two differ based on the patient’s valve status and treatment strategies. AF treatment is directed toward rate control, with or without rhythm control, and anticoagulation for prevention of cardioembolic stroke. Several direct oral anticoagulants (edoxaban, apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran) have recently gained approval for use in NVAF. Pharmacists should educate patients about potential drug-drug interactions and adverse effects with this class of medications.