Understand your heart medication
The Heart Foundation is sending a clear message to Ka¯ piti residents living with a heart condition — you are not alone.
The foundation is holding a free information session to help people living with a heart condition, and their family or support people, to understand medications for your heart.
James Westbury, owner of Westbury Pharmacy in Waikanae, who will lead the session said information sessions are important as people need to be the driver of their own health.
In 2019, Westbury Pharmacy, working with Hora Te Pai, was selected by Pharmac and the Health Quality and Safety Commission to educate and support New Zealanders better understand their medication to improve the chance that they’ll continue taking it.
“We need to know what job our medications do for us as they often play a big part in managing heart conditions. It is easy to get overwhelmed with medications, so this is an opportunity to get to know more about them.”
Retired pharmacist and chairman of the peer support group Ka¯ piti Cardiac Club, Graham Priest, will also be attending this session.
“These Heart Foundation events are run by people who are experts in their field, and who can share the information in a down-to-earth ordinary way.” Graham suffered a heart attack in 1999 while at home in Waikanae and said he knows the chances of survival back then were much lower.
“The changes in our medications over the years is incredible. They are so much more effective than they used to be.”
Since his heart attack, Graham has been actively working with the Ka¯ piti Cardiac Clu to provide support and rehabilitation to those living with heart disease.
He hopes that Heart Foundation events like this will help people affected by heart disease understand more about the medication that they’re taking.
“My experience is that people often don’t understand what medication they are taking and what it’s for.”
Heart Foundation Wellington heart health advocate Cath Lyders said most people who have had a heart event and their families often have lots of questions about their medication.
“Often people are on a few different medications for their heart condition and the names and amounts can be changed over time so this opportunity to ask questions is very important.”
New Zealand’s heart disease statistics are confronting, with more than 6300 Kiwis dying of it every year, making it our country’s single biggest killer. More than 186,000 Kiwis are currently living with heart disease — that’s one in 20 adults.
The Heart Foundation is New Zealand’s leading independent funder of heart research and, since 1968, has funded more than $70 million in research and specialist training for cardiologists.
It also performs a wide range of activities to help support people living with heart disease and their families and provides educational programmes and campaigns that promote heart-healthy living.
‘Medications for your Heart’ will be held on Thursday May 2 at the Te Newhanga Ka¯ piti Community Centre from 5.30pm to 7pm.
Register for this free session at www.medheart.eventbrite.co.nz, or by contacting Annette on 04 472 2780 or annettes@heartfoundation.org.nz