OBJECTIVES: Warfarin has been the cornerstone oral anticoagulant for more than 60 years. Since 2008, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been introduced to the market. In Qatar, dabigatran was introduced in 2011 followed by rivaroxaban in 2014. In this study, we aim to explore the trends in oral anticoagulant use in Qatar over the past 5 years and to what extent did DOACs replace warfarin. We also explored the extent of switching anticoagulation from warfarin to DOACs and vice versa. METHODS: From electronic medical records, we collected all anticoagulant prescriptions dispensed as in- or out-patient from 2011 to 2015 in all Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) hospitals. For every calendar year, we calculated the number and percentage of patients using each one of the anticoagulants prescribed. RESULTS: Overall, 7178 patients were using oral anticoagulants over the past 5 years among which 6044(84.2%) used warfarin, 518 (7.2%) used dabigatran and 616 (8.6%) used rivaroxaban. The percentage of patients receiving DOACs increased gradually from approximately 0.5% in 2011 to 26% in 2015. Among patients receiving DOACs, 261 (22.3%) were previous warfarin users, while 188 (16.1%) of DOACs users were switched back to warfarin. CONCLUSIONS: DOACs have been gradually replacing warfarin in Qatar and the trend of their use is similar to that reported in other countries. Warfarin remains the most commonly used oral anticoagulant.