Geraldine Moses

Dr Geraldine Moses is a consultant clinical pharmacist at Mater Health Services, Brisbane, and visiting lecturer at The University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology.


Q. What motivates you most in your work?

My work involves helping people understand and learn about medicines. Even after 22 years, I never tire of the light-bulb moment—when the penny drops and people finally realise that medicines are neither friend nor foe, they're just tools in a toolbox. And to never dismiss any medicine as 'safe', as all medicines, even natural health products, can have potential risks. This is what motivates me to keep doing what I do. I never tire of people asking questions, and I never tire of learning from the patients themselves. And it's so exciting that now, in the 21st century, we are increasingly using medicines for prevention instead of just treatment.



Q. What does being healthy mean to you?

Healthy means having a balanced life in which all, or most, of your needs are being met or monitored. Obviously this involves eating a balanced nutritious diet, doing plenty of exercise, being neither over- nor underweight and managing health conditions in a positive way. I added the latter because healthy shouldn't mean the absence of disease, or abstinence from medication. You can be a 'healthy' diabetic or a 'healthy' person on medication. So many people are now living with a medical history that includes serious diseases such as cancer, organ transplant or heart attack. If that past disease is still present but under control or in remission, surely these people deserve to be called 'healthy', too. I think so.



Q. What is your wellbeing wish for Australian women 40+?

I would like to see women over 40 stop spending money on quick-fix tablets. We know there is a multi-billion dollar industry manufacturing thousands of dubious remedies that claim to melt fat away, increase our sex drive, balance our hormones and give us more energy. My wish is for women 40+ to realise that only lifestyle intervention achieves real and noticeable health goals, and that there are some things in life that are just part of growing older. And I think they should smile more because it does make you feel good and it's free!



More about Moses:

Dr Geraldine Moses has over 20 years’ experience providing expert drug information. Her speciality areas are adverse drug reactions, drug interaction, drugs for the elderly, and psychiatry and complementary medicine.



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