Instruments assessing capacity to manage medications.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Clinical Pharmacy

Background:

• Medication nonadherence is a significant public health issue, often stemming from difficulties in managing prescribed medications.
• Assessing the capacity for medication management is crucial for identifying individuals who may require support to ensure adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and identify instruments capable of assessing the physical and cognitive abilities required for effective medication management.
• To evaluate these instruments for their potential to identify reasons for nonadherence.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search of PubMed (1950-February 2008) was conducted to find relevant articles.
• Additional studies were identified through cross-referencing bibliographies of selected articles.
• Inclusion criteria focused on articles describing simulated medication management assessments, regardless of adherence data or specific populations.

Main Results:

• Fifteen distinct instruments for assessing medication management capacity were identified.
• Administration times varied, with six instruments taking 5 minutes or less, and five requiring 6-30 minutes.
• Three instruments offer the advantage of using a patient's own medications for a more authentic assessment, and three assess numeracy literacy.

Conclusions:

• Five instruments, including Beckman's tasks and the Medication Management Ability Assessment, are recommended for further comparison due to their brevity, evidence base, or specific assessment components.
• A notable gap exists for a brief, validated tool suitable for primary care to identify medication management deficits and guide necessary support.