Final answer:
One side effect of taking epoetin alfa is hypertension (high blood pressure).
Step-by-step explanation:
When a patient is taking epoetin alfa, they should watch for hypertension. Epoetin alfa is a synthetic version of erythropoietin (EPO), which stimulates the production of red blood cells. One of the side effects of this medication is an increase in blood pressure. Monitoring blood pressure regularly is important to ensure it does not become dangerously high.