Oral Medication Tipsheet: M2020
🎯Purpose:
This tool can be used to aid in the interpretation and coding of this OASIS item. Review the General Instructions and CMS Instructions for each answer.
(M2020) Management of Oral Medications: Patient's current ability to prepare and take all oral medications reliably and safely, including administration of the correct dosage at the appropriate times/intervals. Excludes injectable and IV medications. (NOTE: This refers to ability, not compliance or willingness.)
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ANSWER |
M2020 Description |
CMS INSTRUCTIONS |
|---|---|---|
|
0 |
*Able to independently take the correct oral medication(s) and proper dosage(s) at the correct times. |
*Client sets up own medi-set and is able to take correct med, dosage and time *Client must be able to obtain meds from where stored, read the label or identified marking, open container, select the pill/tablet/liquid and orally ingest (swallow) at correct time *Client sets up own meds in med-set/machine and takes correctly |
|
1 |
*Able to take medication(s) at the correct times if: (a) individual dosages are prepared in advance by another person; OR (b)another person develops a drug diary or chart |
*Client independent if meds set up by another person – medi-set or machine (not SOC; would need return visit to see if med set-up was successful) *Another person must get the container, open container, get water, etc. *Another person must label the containers in order to be taken correctly *Requires drug diary or chart |
|
2 |
*Able to take medication(s) at the correct times if giving reminders by another person at the appropriate times |
*Daily med reminders necessary by another person - regardless of whether the client is independent or needs assistance in preparing individual doses *PRN meds taken on the day of assessment and med reminder needed |
|
3 |
*Unable to take medication unless administered by another person |
*Client does not have the physical or cognitive ability on the day of assessment to take all meds correctly (correct med, dose, time) as ordered and every time ordered *It has not been established that med set-up, diary or reminders have been successful (med set-up SOC) *Client unable to swallow oral (po) meds *Client requires assist in ambulation to get meds but independent after med obtained (not independent due to physical, sensory and/or environmental barrier). Note: If after the SOC the clinician moves the location of the meds so the client can obtain them independently, then the next time OASIS data is collected, the answer can be “0” or “1”; would be #3 on SOC |
|
NA |
*No oral medications prescribed | *No oral medications prescribed |
General Instructions:
- Must be able to take ALL oral (po) meds reliably and safely at ALL times
- Refers to client’s ABILITY – not “willingness” or “adherence”
- Includes all prescription and OTC oral (po) meds (not topical, injectable, tube, sublingual, inhaler or IV); must be absorbed through the GI system – not mucosal membranes under the tongue
- If the client’s ability to manage oral meds varies from med to med – rate your answer on the medication for which the most assistance is needed
- ALF clients: If the ALF administers the med, the clinician must assess the client’s vision, strength, ambulation, manual dexterity and cognition. Would the client be able to prepare and take all oral (po) meds reliably and safely (time, dose, etc.) if the ALF was not administering the meds? Answer to M2020 is based on assessment of these factors – not the fact that ALF is administering the meds per their protocol
- "Prepare and take" includes: Obtain meds from storage, read label and/or identifying marking, open container/vial, select correct number of pills/tablets, obtain water, orally ingest (swallow) at correct time.
- If someone other than the client must do any of these tasks in order for the client to access and/or take the med at the correct time, then the client is not independent.
- If all medications are not in the home the day of the assessment, the assessing clinician can utilize alternative assessment strategies (rather than direct observation only) to score the OASIS based on the client’s ability such as the complexity of the overall drug regimen, cognitive status, vision, strength, manual dexterity and general mobility, along with any other relevant barriers, and use clinical judgment to determine the patient’s current ability. Consider if the medications are not in the home, it is possible that the dose will be missed in which case the score would be (3).
📅 Effective: 11/24/25 |  🛠️ Revised: 7/9/26 |  ✅ Approved: RE