Glenn: Speaking with health professionals – The importance of good communication
Listen to patients and health professionals speak about their experience with taking multiple medicines.
Glenn
Male
Age at interview: 50
Number of medicines: 6
Cultural background: Anglo-Australian
Glenn had a positive experience with his psychiatrist from the very beginning. This changed the way that he felt about having to manage mental health issues. His current pharmacist also has an important role in providing Glenn with information about his medicines.
The psychiatrist was brilliant. He took the time to listen to me. He offered information back and suggestions and from the first day that I saw him I actually felt better. That was a good start. I was always … like everybody else, I've got to go to a psychiatrist, what's everyone going to think of me? I’m a crazy. But it's not. They’re just a specialist doctor who can help you with one particular area. Once I got over all that, it was really good …
I did find with some GPs it was a script and no information about what you were doing. It was left up to a pharmacist. Now, I have a great pharmacist at the moment who spends a lot of time making sure that all my medication is going well. He will take the time, if he sees me come in … it's only a very small pharmacy. When he sees me come in he then will come over and say, hello, how are they going? Are you having any side effects from them? Even though he knows I've been on them for a long time, he still asks the questions.
The Living with multiple medicines project was developed in collaboration with Healthtalk Australia.