Compliance monitor

A method for monitoring patient usage of a medicament delivery inhalation device, including:

• providing a medicament delivery inhalation device comprising a store of medicament and an actuator, the actuator defining an L-shaped tube having a first end adapted to receive and surround the store of medicament and a second end comprising a mouthpiece, the actuator configured to dispense said store of medicament through said mouthpiece upon actuation,
• providing a compliance monitor with a housing,
• releasably and loosely attaching the housing of the compliance monitor to the actuator of said medicament delivery inhalation device, the housing comprising a body adapted to permit the actuator to be inserted and removed from the housing as needed, the body of the housing having an aperture defined therein and through which the mouthpiece of the actuator extends, such that the mouthpiece protrudes from the aperture to deliver medication directly to the patient,
• inserting the medicament delivery inhalation device within said housing, such that the housing loosely couples to the actuator of said medicament delivery inhalation device, wherein a gap is defined between a surface of the mouthpiece and the body of the housing, and the gap provides a predetermined degree of movement of the housing relative to the actuator upon actuation of the medicament delivery inhalation device;
• and
• providing a dose counter on an inside surface of the body of the housing and below the second end of the actuator when the housing is attached to the actuator for recording the delivery of a dose of medicament to the patient from the medicament delivery inhalation device,
• activating the dose counter to record said store of medicament,
• wherein the housing as a whole moves relative to the actuator during actuation of the medicament delivery inhalation device and the dose counter abuttingly engages an underside of the actuator and activates the dose counter and registers a dose count indicating delivery of the dose of medicament,
• wherein the movement of said housing relative to said medicament delivery inhalation device, during the actuation, is primarily in a longitudinal direction with respect to said medicament delivery inhalation device.