PT: Family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances – Assistance from others when needed
Listen to patients and health professionals speak about their experience with taking multiple medicines.
PT
Male
Age at interview: 49
Number of medicines: 7
Cultural background: Indian
PT relied on his family to help him establish good medication routines after he had a heart attack. They still offer significant support.
I was dependent on my wife and my kids particularly during the first two to three months, two months I would say. Not more than two months. So my routine was all around the medication and diet. So I had to have certain diet at a certain time to be able to take the medication and to have ... to build my strength ... to not get worse or not get into a problem again. Everything was focused, the whole energy and whole focus of the family was to somehow keep me out of getting bad again. So the medication was part of it … They are very much aware of it and I can … I do expect them and they do respond to help me—for example, get my medication. I've missed it—somebody reminds me and brings it to me. I did not remember at all yesterday when I was at work that I'd missed my medication in the morning ... I'd missed taking the medication. I got a call from my wife that I had done so. I came back and they had taken it out in a bowl and kept it ready for me to have it. So they are completely involved in it. They also understand the importance of it.
The Living with multiple medicines project was developed in collaboration with Healthtalk Australia.