A pill container and method for staging and storing pills or other small objects includes a plurality of storage cells, where each cell defines a top opening and a bottom refill opening. Pills are staged in a sorting area disposed on a bottom side of the pill container, allowing verification by sight and feel of a correct number and type of pill before being dropped into the storage cells. A slide bar is moved to an open position to align holes in the slide bar with the refill openings in the bottom of the storage cells, thereby allowing the pills to be loaded into the storage cells. The slide bar is moved back to a closed position to seal the holes in the bottom of the storage cells. A locking mechanism is provided to provide protection again accidental against accidental movement of the slide bar.