OBJECTIVES: To measure how VKA’s patients assess their treatment in terms of medication intake constraints, monitoring and psychological impact related to perceived risk. METHODS: Questionnaires to patients under VKAs for at least 3 months. Questionnaires were distributed through 150 retail pharmacies spread over all France from November 2009 to March 2010. A random distribution of questionnaire was made. RESULTS: 1094 questionnaires were administered. Study included 58% men and 42% women aged > 65 years for 72%; patients aged more than 75 years represented 43%. Patients were treated in majority by fluindione (82.3%) and for more than 3 years (65.1%). Patients were treated in majority for cardiac rhythm disorder (40%). More than ¾ (77%) of VKAs patients consider their treatment being a burden even though being vital. Treatment is judged as being a constraint because of the obligation to adapt dosages according to coagulation monitoring (42%), and due to the necessity to contact their physician after each blood sample (25%). The requirement to permanently have a monitoring is considered as constantly reminding the associated risk (65%), expectation of coagulation monitoring results generate anxiety for more than ¼ of patients (27%). Majority of patients acknowledge that regular blood sampling is a constraint (53%) and that the treatment would be more convenient without these constant blood samplings (60%). In parallel, 38% of patients interviewed consider that the VKA treatment constraint is reinforced by the fact that they cannot eat what they would like. Patient preference for a new treatment is in priority: A treatment without regular blood sampling (62%); a treatment for which the daily anticoagulant dosage does not need adaptation (60%). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment by VKAs is perceived as burdensome and risky by a majority of patients due to the constant monitoring required and the uncertainty of the good blood dosage.