Judy: How people feel – Having no problems with multiple medicines
Listen to patients and health professionals speak about their experience with taking multiple medicines.
Judy
Female
Age at interview: 72
Number of medicines: 9
Cultural background: Anglo-Australian
Judy is not worried by the number of medicines she takes because she has great faith in her GP.
Judy:
It hasn't bothered me really. I talk to people who just hate the idea of having to be on medication and avoid it like the plague, but no, the doctor says, ‘Do this’ and I do it. I don't have any problems, yeah. I wouldn't say that it was an imposition.
Jacqueline:
Has it always been that straightforward?
Judy:
Yes.
Jacqueline:
So starting medicines didn't pose any particular problem?
Judy:
No, I don't think it did. As I said, probably the thyroid medication was the first thing and I thought ‘Oh well, if this is what I've got to do to be healthy, that's just what you do.’
Jacqueline:
What do you think has made it fairly straightforward for you to manage your medicines?
Judy:
I really have no idea. I think I'm probably a fairly relaxed person and ... of myself I would say I'm not a very up and down person. I tend to ... I think I do ... other people might differ! Life, for me, mostly ... I mean everyone has dramas and traumas and things happen in their life, but day to day, I just sort of sail through and get on with it and do what needs to be done. I think, if I did have a problem, you know, any problems with it that might be different. It wasn't until we talked about it that I realised that I don't.
The Living with multiple medicines project was developed in collaboration with Healthtalk Australia.