Management of Expectations and adaptation to change

Tools for medication-taking  

Medication self-management An individual’s ability to manage the symptoms, side effects, treatment, and physical and social consequences of taking medications. includes several different tasks, one of those being taking medications. There are some tools that can be requested or purchased to assist with taking medications (e.g. if you experience challenges with hand function). For example:

DeviceDescription and ExamplesPicture
Bottle opening devices
($10 – $20)
Devices that can be used with pill bottles to improve grip or ability to hold the lid of the bottle  

Examples: Medi-Grip® bottle opener, Multi-size bottle opener 
Pill punch 
($20 – $30)
Devices that are used to help penetrate blister packaging 
Eye drop dispensers 
($20 – $50)
Devices used to facilitate administration by aligning the dropper to the eye and making the bottle easier to squeeze 

Examples: Opticare Arthro®, Autodrop® 
Inhaler aids 
($30 – $50)
Devices used to help grip and press the canister of the inhaler 

Example: Haleraid® 
Tube squeezer 
($5 – $10)
Devices used to access creams, gels, and ointments by pushing the contents toward to opening of the tube 
Injector pen Injectable medicines (e.g., insulin) can be prescribed as prefilled pens as opposed to vials and hypodermic syringes 
Dosette 
($5 – $20)
Device used to organize medications into individual compartments (by day of the week or time of day) 
Note: Prices vary depending on region and location of purchase

References

National Health Service. (2020, May). Guidance on interventions to improve medicationhttps://www.herefordshireandworcestershireccg.nhs.uk/about-us/publications/medicines-and-pharmacy/general-prescribing-resources/patient-resources/391-interventions-to-improve-adherence-patient-outcomes-final/file

Note: Some of the information included above is also based on lived experiences