Peter S: Messages to others – Engage with your health professionals

Peter S
Male
Age at interview: 60
Number of medicines: 18
Cultural background: Anglo-Australian

Peter S encourages people to think of themselves as part of a team with their doctor and other health professionals and to ask questions of them and consider a Webster-pak.

I'd say form a good team with your treating doctor and any other health professionals, educators, yeah, whatever. Don't be afraid to ask questions because you may think a question is stupid, a question as simple as should I take it before meals, with meals or after meals, some people may not think that's a big thing but for some medications you take it the wrong times such as, say, some antibiotics, they become useless because of the way it interacts with the contents or lack of contents of the stomach or whatever else ... I'd tell them to find a good chemist, go down and ask for a Webster-pak, simple. If they find it difficult or confusing to differentiate between the different tablets, they've got stuck on their kitchen bench a huge pile of them, yeah, go to the chemist, get a Webster-pak. I know there's different brands but that's only one brand that ... there's hundreds of them on the market. Go down there, get that type of pack and life becomes so much simpler. You don't have to worry and make sure it's a good chemist. 

Some chemists may be ... but you only learn after a while. Some chemists may be a bit lackadaisical but I know the chemist I use … well I trust them with my life every day I take my tablets, so yeah. And again, they're approachable. Find one where you can actually build up again a team relationship with the chemist.

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The Living with multiple medicines project was developed in collaboration with Healthtalk Australia.