A/Prof Sarah Hilmer: Going to hospital – Seeing a clinical pharmacologist
Listen to patients and health professionals speak about their experience with taking multiple medicines.
A/Prof Sarah Hilmer
Main occupation: Clinical pharmacologist
Years in clinical practice at interview: 16
Qualifications: BScMed (Hons), MBBS (Hons), FRACP, PhD
Associate Professor Sarah Hilmer is a clinical pharmacologist who specialises in medicines in older people. She describes what people can expect regarding their medicines when they go to hospital.
They could expect that someone would go through all their medicines with them. They should expect that a doctor will go through and try to work out what medicines they're taking and that a clinical pharmacist in the hospital will also go through and check what they're taking.
They should expect that someone will call their local doctor and/or their local pharmacist and confirm what they're taking and also talk to any carers or other people who are involved with helping them take their medicines, to get a good picture of what they're taking and why they're taking it.
They should expect that there will be a discussion around the risks and benefits of their different medicines and combinations of medicines and they should expect some changes to their medicines in hospital. They should expect that change is communicated to their general practitioner when they go home, and that they have a clear medication plan themselves, what they should be doing once they go home, as well as any help that they need to take their medicines, and an ongoing plan of what to look at and what to review next.
The Living with multiple medicines project was developed in
collaboration with Healthtalk Australia.