Jane: Routines with multiple medicines – Complex medication regimens
Listen to patients and health professionals speak about their experience with taking multiple medicines.
Jane
Female
Age at interview: 53
Number of medicines: 8
Cultural background: Anglo-Australian
Jane was assisted by starting a new medicine regimen in hospital and developed good habits when she was at home.
Being in hospital when most of those were introduced meant that I didn't really have to do anything differently, other than turn up when it was time to take those tablets. The lithium, I learnt quickly it's important to take that at the same time of day and with the regular blood tests that are taken, to make sure the lithium levels are still correct. In hospital, that was all done for me. Now that's a constant check-up that I keep doing with my doctor about that. So, certainly, having that timing of the medication, I was aware that that was quite important, to make sure I took that at the same time … Once I left hospital, I had to manage that myself.
A lot of the other tablets that I was taking that made me a bit, I guess, dozy or sleepy, I was able to work out that, you know, an hour after taking these tablets, I'm ready to go to sleep, no matter what. So I then began to notice, I guess, the clock more and to think, ‘OK, I need to take them now,’ wherever I am so that when I'm ready to get to sleep, I get to sleep.
The Living with multiple medicines project was developed in collaboration with Healthtalk Australia.