ENVIRONMENTAL AND RELIABILITY TESTING OF A MICROPROCESSOR CONTROLLED MEDICATION DISPENSER

THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE IS TO COMPLETE DEVELOPMENT OF A MICROPROCESSOR-CONTROLLED MEDICATION DISPENSER THAT EFFECTIVELY ADDRESSES THE PROBLEM OF PATIENT COMPLIANCE. THIS TECHNOLOGY OFFERS THREE IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS FOR ADDRESSING NONCOMPLIANCE: (1) IT LIMITS PATIENT ACCESS TO MEDICATION ACCORDING TO THE PRESCRIBED DOSING REGIMEN, (2) IT AUDIBLY AND VISUALLY REMINDS PATIENTS WHEN MEDICATION IS DUE OR PAST DUE, AND (3) IT MONITORS PATIENTS' DISPENSING HABITS TO ALLOW PHYSICIANS AND PHARMACISTS TO IDENTIFY AND COUNSEL PATIENTS WITH POOR COMPLIANCE HABITS. PHASE I RESEARCH WILL TEST ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL, AND SOFTWARE RELIABILITY. A SERIES OF LABORATORY STUDIES WILL TEST RELIABILITY AND RESILIENCY TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. PHASE II EFFORTS WILL TEST PATIENT AND PHYSICIAN ACCEPTANCE OF THIS TECHNOLOGY AND ITS UTILITY IN A CLINICAL SETTING, AS WELL AS DEFINE THE MONITOR CONFIGURATION MOST APPROPRIATE FOR CLINICAL USE. LATER RESEARCH WILL ADDRESS MULTIPLE CLINICAL SITES, LARGER NUMBERS OF PATIENTS, AND SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS FOR MICROPROCESSOR-CONTROLLED MEDICATION DISPENSING.