Heather Pantea

SVSU MSOT Level I Student

Title: Medication Management Kit
Description of Activity
This kit can be used with populations that have medications to be taken on a
regular basis. Users of this kit should use the materials provided to properly choose and
sort medications needed. The number of medications and days needed to be sorted and
prepared may depend on each individual users needs. Through this occupation-based
activity, users of this kit are addressing issues that may occur with medication
management. This may include areas such as being able to pick up various small pills,
opening different medication containers, organizing medications into the proper areas,
taking medication dosages at appropriate times, and being able to safely self-administer
medication taken each day.
Materials, Tools, and Cost
Materials in the kit include seven labeled medication containers that vary in shape
and size, different colored beads for each container (beads representing pills), one pill
box (labeled with all seven days of the week and separated into AM and PM), a reusable
one-week schedule, three dry erase markers, an eraser, and reusable level cards for
grading the activity to be more simple or difficult depending on the individual. The total
cost of the kit was around $20, with some materials being gathered from home such as
the medication containers and beads.
Instructions for Implementation
To use this kit, users will be instructed to read the labels on the medication
bottles, open the containers, and sort the necessary medications into the pill box. Proper
dosage for each medication should be followed when sorting takes place. The dosages for
each medication can be found directly on the containers. To simulate taking medications

Heather Pantea
SVSU MSOT Level I Student
for each day, the user should check off the correct box on the reusable schedule when
pills are taken out of a day in the pill box. Pills should be returned to their respective
containers once taken out of the pill box.
Activity Modification
To grade this activity up or down based on the users needs; there are a number of
options to choose from. The specific level cards, numbered 1 through 7 (1 being the
easiest, 7 the most difficult), may be used to increase or decrease the number of
medications sorted. Another option is to use the labels on the medication containers
themselves, some having more difficult dosage instructions than others to help offer the
user a just-right challenge. This is also true of the different opening lids on the
containers, some offering more of a challenge to open for the user. The pill box has been
adapted by the manufacturer for simple opening, with each day having a push-tab to
open. If these options do not suffice for an individual user of the kit, the implementer
could choose to grade the activity by number of pills to be sorted, number of days, how
many times sorting needs to be conducted, etc. Additionally, the use of the reusable
schedule could be removed if the activity needs to be graded down for the user.
Performance Issues Addressed
There are a number of performance areas that are addressed with the medication
management kit. One of the largest areas this kit incorporates is that of cognition. Users
of this kit work on aspects of cognition such as proper sequencing, planning, organizing,
and selection. Motor skills are also addressed with this kit, including areas such as fine
motor/manipulation, praxis, grasp, and coordination. A users own personal performance

Heather Pantea
SVSU MSOT Level I Student
patterns may also be influenced or improved upon by this kit, such as daily habits and
routines.
Contraindications
Although this occupation-based kit is generally safe to use with most individuals,
there are some contraindications. While this kit is meant to help improve or sustain an
individuals cognitive ability when managing medication, it should not be used with those
who do not demonstrate adequate comprehension of what the kit is used for. Because
there are small objects involved in this kit (the beads representing pills), if individuals do
not understand these are objects not to be taken orally and are simply to be used for
simulation, this may create a dangerous situation for that individual. Also, if users of the
kit have movement restrictions (such as having recent surgical repairs in the hand), the
implementer should ensure that individuals are at a safe and secure status so as not to
cause unnecessary pain or damage.

Heather Pantea
SVSU MSOT Level I Student
Resources
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2008). Occupational therapy practice
framework: Domain and process, 2nd edition. American Journal of Occupational
Therapy, 62, 625-683.
Cole J. (2011). Extending the role of the occupational therapist in the promotion of
collaborative medication management to facilitate occupation. British Journal Of
Occupational Therapy, 74(11):540-542
Marian Arbesman and Letha J. Mosley. (May 2012). Systematic Review of Occupationand Activity-Based Health Management and Maintenance Interventions for
Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Am J Occup Ther, 66:277-28.
Try These Medication Management Strategies. (May 2012) Physical Medicine & Rehab
Coding Alert, 13(5):37-8.