The section on the Cap Opening Monitor describes how a buzzer to motivate a patient to close and tighten the Cap on a Cap Opening monitor, plus a dessicent in the bottle would provide reasonable protection for the medication against ambient moisture. The same principal could be applied to any medication monitors, which does not provide adequate moisture protection for a hygroscopic medication like ethambutol. On this website the multi-compartment monitor will definitely need a means to provide protection against moisture if hygroscopic medications are being dispensed, and the trace sheet monitor will probably need such protection

To achieve protection the monitor could be stored in a moisture proof container. Figure 1 shows a container adapted to storing the trace sheet monitor described in the previous section. To remove medication the patient would open the container, advance the medication monitor a sufficient distance out of the container that the medication can be removed, remove one dose of medication, and push the device back into the container. The medication monitors would have to be lashed or fastened to the container in some manner to make sure the device is not completely removed. The container can incorporate a switch which determines when the box is opened and a buzzer. To motivate and if necessary annoy the patient or the family to close the container, the buzzer would commence buzzing approximately 15 seconds after the box was opened and continue to buzz until the container was closed.

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POTENTIAL AND EXISTING MEDICATION MONITOR DESIGNS

 I.   Cover and Cap Opening Monitors

 II.  Dose Removal Monitors

DISPLAYS INCORPORATED INTO COMPLIANCE MONITORS

Adapting to New International TB Treatment Standards with Medication Monitors and DOT given selectively