Glenn: Problems with multiple medicines (II) – Limited access to doctors and pharmacies
Listen to patients and health professionals speak about their experience with taking multiple medicines.
Glenn
Male
Age at interview: 50
Number of medicines: 6
Cultural background: Anglo-Australian
Glenn lives in a rural area, which means he has to travel long distances to see his preferred psychiatrist.
Glenn:
There are very few psychiatrists within the area. I was travelling probably 100 kilometres to see my psychiatrist from this current location. However, I had to work in Canberra for four years and I travelled from Canberra almost up to Newcastle to see a psychiatrist once every couple of months.
Jacqueline:
And how long did that take you?
Glenn:
Four hours. So when you find someone who you're happy with, I'd rather travel the four hours than find somebody locally who I wasn't happy with.
Jacqueline:
What kind of an impact on the rest of life did that have?
Glenn:
It meant I had to take time off work. I would try and make the appointment for a Monday or a Friday, so that way I could drive up, spend the weekend with friends, and then go back on the Sunday or the Monday. But it was hard. It was really difficult. Sometimes I didn't want to do it, but I had to then stop and think that if I didn't, I wouldn't get medication. If I didn't have the medication, I would slip backwards again and I'd end up being the way I was before, and I don't want to ever go back there.
The Living with multiple medicines project was developed in collaboration with Healthtalk Australia.