What are the most commonly prescribed blood thinner drugs?

The most commonly prescribed anticoagulant drugs in the United States include warfarin, such as Coumadin; dalteparin, such as Fragmin; dabigatran, such as Pradaxa; and enoxaparin, such as Lovenox, according to the American Heart Association. Doctors prescribe anticoagulants to patients who suffer from diseases of the heart, lung and circulatory system.

Anticoagulants, or blood thinners, prevent the formation of clots in the bloodstream and those that have formed from becoming worse, explains the American Heart Association. They do this by decreasing the blood's clotting ability. Despite the moniker, these blood thinners do not thin the blood and cannot destroy a clot once it has formed.