<p><strong>Acute Coronary Syndrome</strong>: In patients who need an antiplatelet effect within hours, initiate clopidogrel with a single 300 mg (4 tablets) oral loading dose and then continue at 75 mg once daily. Initiating it without a loading dose will delay establishment of an antiplatelet effect by several days.<br />
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<strong>Recent MI, Recent Stroke, or Established Peripheral Arterial Disease</strong>: 75 mg once daily orally without a loading dose.<br />
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It is given orally with or without food.</p>