Here is the most current information I could find regarding the "pill in the pocket" anticoagulation protocols. It's a summary article from 2023, and the impression I get is that determining the effectiveness of this method of "periodic" anticoagulation to cover stroke risks for infrequent or paroxysmal A-fib episodes is still very much a work in progress.
https://www.aerjournal.com/articles/pill-pocket-oral-anticoagulation-guided-daily-rhythm-monitoring-stroke-prevention-patients
I've wondered about it myself, as I have paroxysmal episodes of A-fib, can go for a number of months without an episode ( it's tracked on my pacemaker monitor reports), and generally the episodes are short-lived at a few seconds each. I've asked my cardiologist about discontinuing the Eliquis after it's been months since an episode. He's quoted my other risk factors ( such as a CHADS2Vasc2 score of 4) and the fact that he believes I've not seen the last of A-fib episodes, along with the records they have of longer occuring episodes of several hours each to tell me I need to continue with the Eliquis. Unfortunately, he's been right about the occurrence of recent A-fib episodes for me. I still find the idea of intermittent anticoagulation interesting, perhaps not for me, but for those without the other risk factors for stroke. If they could only be sure of just when a thromboembolic stroke occurs relative to an A-fib episode ( as I read the article it seems that is variable and disputed), they'd know the best timing for effective pill-in pocket anticoagulation.