Background Information about Medication Self-Management An individual’s ability to manage the symptoms, side effects, treatment, and physical and social consequences of taking medications.

What is medication self-management? 

Medication self-management An individual’s ability to manage the symptoms, side effects, treatment, and physical and social consequences of taking medications. focuses on having the knowledge, confidence, and skills to deal with taking or not taking medications in everyday life. There are three key areas of medication self-management An individual’s ability to manage the symptoms, side effects, treatment, and physical and social consequences of taking medications. : medical, emotional, and role management.

1. Medical management includes tasks like taking medications, managing secondary conditions A mental or physical health condition that occurs because of a primary health condition. , and identifying and dealing with side effects Unwanted or unexpected reactions to a medication or treatment. .
2. Emotional management includes dealing with different emotions or feelings that are associated with taking and managing medications and their side effects Unwanted or unexpected reactions to a medication or treatment. .
3. Role management includes maintaining, changing, or creating new habits for managing medications to help ease engagement in day-to-day activities.

Medication self-management An individual’s ability to manage the symptoms, side effects, treatment, and physical and social consequences of taking medications. can include several different areas, such as:

• Setting and adapting goals
• Seeking support
• Solving problems
• Making decisions
• Participating in activities

Why does medication self-management matter?

Medication self-management An individual’s ability to manage the symptoms, side effects, treatment, and physical and social consequences of taking medications. is important because it can help with improving your knowledge, confidence, and skills related to medications. Improving your knowledge, confidence, and skills can enhance:

• Medication safety – knowing what medications you are taking and what they are for, avoiding medication interactions A reaction between two or more drugs, or between a drug and food, drink or supplement. A medication interaction can delay, decrease or increase the action that can prevent the drug from performing as expected. , reducing risk of missed doses and/or overdoses, reducing and preventing medication and health-related challenges
• How well medications work (medication effectiveness How well a medicine treats a health problem or improves symptoms in real-world conditions. ) – improving symptoms from secondary conditions A mental or physical health condition that occurs because of a primary health condition. and other health conditions, which can help improve function and community participation
• Empowerment – knowing how to self-advocate including what you can advocate for and engaging actively in decision-making around medications

Information within the toolkit

MedManageSCI includes information on:

• Medication education
• Self-advocacy The ability to speak up for yourself and the things that are important to you. and communication
• Tips and strategies for organizing and taking medications
• Access and safety
• Peer connections
• Management of expectations

The toolkit A collection of adaptable documents to inform change and increase the use of evidence-based interventions. contains nine modules of information related to medication self-management An individual’s ability to manage the symptoms, side effects, treatment, and physical and social consequences of taking medications. for people with spinal cord injury/dysfunction (SCI/D Spinal cord injury or dysfunction. ). These modules were co-developed with adults with SCI/D Spinal cord injury or dysfunction. , caregivers, and healthcare providers from across Canada.

• Module 1: Background Information about Medication Self-Management An individual’s ability to manage the symptoms, side effects, treatment, and physical and social consequences of taking medications.
  • Estimated time to review module: 10 min
  • Objective: Brief overview of what medication self-management An individual’s ability to manage the symptoms, side effects, treatment, and physical and social consequences of taking medications. is and what information individuals can expect to find in the toolkit A collection of adaptable documents to inform change and increase the use of evidence-based interventions.
• Module 2: General Medication Education and Awareness
  • Estimated time to review module: 15 min
  • Objective: Provide more general information about medications, healthcare providers, and where to access information
• Module 3: Self-Reflections and Advocacy
  • Estimated time to review module: 10 min
  • Objective: Provide more information about self-reflecting on medications and self-advocating for what’s important
• Module 4: Communication and Information Sharing
  • Estimated time to review module: 20 min
  • Objective: Provide questions and topics to discuss with healthcare providers; strategies for communicating and building relationships
• Module 5: Practical Tips and Strategies for Medication Management
  • Estimated time to review module: 15 min
  • Objective: Provide practical tips for medication management to support medication-taking and lifestyle considerations
• Module 6: Medication Safety and Management of Side Effects
  • Estimated time to review module: 20 min
  • Objective: Provide information on medication safety, including changes to regimen, side effects Unwanted or unexpected reactions to a medication or treatment. , dependency, and pain
• Module 7: Access to Medications, Supplies, and Services
  • Estimated time to review module: 15 min
  • Objective: Provide information on financial considerations, access to specific medications, and services to support medication management
• Module 8: Peer Connections and Support
  • Estimated time to review module: 5 min
  • Objective: Provide information and strategies for creating peer connections
• Module 9: Managing Expectations and Adapting to Change
  • Estimated time to review module: 15 min
  • Objective: Provide information about how to manage changes with medication self-management An individual’s ability to manage the symptoms, side effects, treatment, and physical and social consequences of taking medications. post-injury, and strategies for coping with medication-taking

What is the purpose of the MedManageSCI toolkit?

The purpose of this toolkit A collection of adaptable documents to inform change and increase the use of evidence-based interventions. is to provide guidance on different areas of medication self-management An individual’s ability to manage the symptoms, side effects, treatment, and physical and social consequences of taking medications. for people with SCI/D Spinal cord injury or dysfunction. . The toolkit A collection of adaptable documents to inform change and increase the use of evidence-based interventions. was developed to be used by individuals with SCI/D Spinal cord injury or dysfunction. , rather than a support for caregivers or healthcare providers. However, caregivers and healthcare providers may find useful information.

If you are new to taking medications or have been taking medications for many years, you may find some helpful information in this toolkit A collection of adaptable documents to inform change and increase the use of evidence-based interventions. . We have learned from previous projects that medication self-management An individual’s ability to manage the symptoms, side effects, treatment, and physical and social consequences of taking medications. can be challenging, and this toolkit A collection of adaptable documents to inform change and increase the use of evidence-based interventions. aims to close the gap and make medication self-management An individual’s ability to manage the symptoms, side effects, treatment, and physical and social consequences of taking medications. easier for people with SCI/D Spinal cord injury or dysfunction. .