Medication dispenser for dispensing flat dosage forms

Abstract

A dispenser for storing/dispensing pharmaceutical dosages that are provided in a stamp-like (flat) dosage form. In some embodiments, the present dispenser includes a housing for retaining a plurality of stacked, individual “stamp-like” pharmaceutical dosages. Disposed within the housing beneath the dosages is a bias element, such as a helical spring, that urges the dosages towards a dosage delivery port of the housing. From the dosage delivery port, dosages are dispensed through an aperture. In other embodiments, the instant dispenser includes a cylindrical main body for retaining pharmaceutical dosages having a stamp-like dosage form that are collectively organized in a roll. A dosage delivery port depending from the cylindrical main body receives dosages one at a time therefrom. The present dispenser is configured, in various embodiments, for manual, mechanically assisted, or automated dispensing. Moreover, the present dispenser includes, when appropriately automated, control electronics that (1) alert a user of a scheduled dosage, and/or (2) dispense a dosage at a prescribed time or at a prescribed time interval, and/or (3) maintain a dosage record.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.