Suzanne: Knowing about multiple medicines – Sources of information
Listen to patients and health professionals speak about their experience with taking multiple medicines.
Suzanne
Age at interview: 76
Number of medicines: 6
Cultural background: British (Caucasian)
Suzanne asks her health professionals where to find credible information.
Suzanne:
For me, I don't want to be in the dark about things. I need to know what people are doing to me or giving me. I feel more comfortable about it all when I understand it. I don't … I know I'm of the era of listening and taking in everything that's said to you, especially by people in authority. But I'm not like that. I need to ... and I know that sometimes, it has happened to me that they've been a bit sharp with me, ‘What do you want to know that for?’ But I do and I persist.
Jacqueline:
How do you persist with doctors who are reluctant to tell you the information you're after?
Suzanne:
Well I ask them either if they don't want to tell me, is there something written that I can read or is there a website I can go to? Can I download something and read it? When I get a new medication from the pharmacist, I always say, ‘Is there a printout of this medication I can read?’ And they're very good, they always give you one.
The Living with multiple medicines project was developed in collaboration with Healthtalk Australia.