Preliminary design of remotely used and monitored medication dispenser

Physicians are often considered as the final pathway for nearly all professional decisions about the use of health resources. Yet with respect to drugs, pharmacists are in many cases the final link between the medication and the patient. This approach of medication intake can be hazardous to the patient. Several mechanical as well as automatic medication dispensers incorporating alarm and automatic opening and closing mechanisms have been developed in the past. Current automatic dispensers incorporate features such as alarms, dose missed indicators followed by the access to the next dose, and simultaneous access to medication of different types. We are developing medication dispensing methods suitable for use in remote dispensing for opioid dependent patients. These include remote patient monitoring, facial image processing, and background processing techniques for monitoring and assessing the patient.