Don: Travelling with multiple medicines – Maintaining medicines routines
Listen to patients and health professionals speak about their experience with taking multiple medicines.
Don
Male
Age at interview: 70
Number of medicines: 5
Cultural background: Anglo-Australian
It is important to Don that he maintains a consistent routine when he travels and one that fits with his plans for the day.
Don:
That is more of a challenge in the sense I must make sure that, even though we're out of routine, on holidays, travelling or whatever, that I try and do that morning and night in the same way. So, I have the medication where I can see it visually, either in my little package of things I've got here ... so I can see it, it's on display or for the morning, I'll put out the little plastic bottle which contains them all the night before with my clothes where I've organised for getting up in the morning, so I just remember.
Jacqueline:
How does that compare with the routine you have established at home?
Don:
It's just because times are different, I suppose. You're a bit more relaxed about time, in a sense. Even though I'm retired now, you tend to have a fairly organised routine, whereas when you're away travelling or whatever, the routine is different sometimes and it could be earlier if you’re travelling, as we do, South America for 10 weeks earlier this year. Well, some days start early, so you had to get yourself organised. But I try to make sure that the tablets were staring me in the face in the morning, so I didn't forget them in the rush.
The Living with multiple medicines project was developed in collaboration with Healthtalk Australia.