Helen: Forgetting and remembering to take medicines – What people do when they forget to take a medicine

Listen to patients and health professionals speak about their experience with taking multiple medicines.

Helen
Female
Age at interview: 58
Number of medicines: 10
Cultural background: Anglo-Australian

Helen describes what she does when she forgets to take a medicine, according to which medicine it is.

It depends on which one it is. Yeah. If … I used to worry quite a lot, and I've discovered that missing one dose of anything doesn't usually make that much difference. If I miss my asthma medication, I know I've got a reliever with me. So if the worst came to the worst, I've got a backup. 

If I miss my hypertension medication, I think oh, okay, hopefully it's not going to be a stressful day at work, but just deal with. I would take that one in the evening, when I get home. Possibly change my routine to taking that one in the evening, instead of in the morning. 

If I forget part of my arthritic medication … if it's a painkiller, no, unlikely to forget that. If it's one of the others, like krill oil or the chondroitin, well I've just forgotten it, and that's just the way it goes.

 
To print this page use Control+P on a PC, or Command+P on a Mac.

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