Smart Medicine Dispenser

Medication non-adherence is a persistent challenge in modern healthcare, particularly among elderly individuals and patients managing chronic conditions, and it often leads to missed doses, dosing errors, and preventable hospital readmissions. This paper presents the design and implementation of a Smart Medicine Dispenser that automates medication delivery using embedded sensors, a microcontroller, and cellular connectivity. The objective of the work is to develop a low-cost, Arduino-based dispensing system that improves dosing accuracy, provides touch-free interaction, and keeps caregivers informed in real time. The system architecture integrates an Arduino Uno R4 Minima microcontroller, a real-time clock (RTC) module for accurate scheduling, an infrared (IR) sensor for touch-free presence detection, a servo-motor-based dispensing mechanism, a 16x2 LCD for local status display, a buzzer for audible alerts, and a GSM module (SIM800L) for SMS notifications to caregivers. The prototype was evaluated over 100 test cycles to assess dispensing accuracy, timing accuracy, and alert reliability. The servo-based compartment mechanism dispensed medication successfully at each scheduled interval with an overall success rate exceeding 95%, while visual and audible alerts were triggered reliably every time and SMS notifications were delivered consistently to the caregiver's phone. These results show that combining scheduled dispensing with presence detection and independent remote alerting can meaningfully reduce missed and incorrect doses without requiring an internet connection or a smart phone application. The proposed system offers a cost-effective, modular, and scalable solution suited to home care, elder-care facilities, and rural or underserved regions with limited connectivity, and it lays a foundation for future enhancements such as multi-drug scheduling, mobile-app integration, and biometric authentication.

Smart Medicine Dispenser, Internet of Things (IoT), Medication Adherence, Embedded Systems, GSM Alert System

1. Arora, K., & Singh, U. (2018). Smart Pill Dispenser using Internet of Things. International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Ahire, T. R., Shewale, A. S., Aher, N. S., & Wagh, D. N. (2025). Automatic Medicine Dispenser. International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Acharya, S. S., Hegde, S., & Kumar, A. S. (2025). A Review on Dispenser Mechanism of Medicine Dispenser. International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Mrityunjaya, D. H., Uttarkar, K. J., Teja, B., & Hiremath, K. (2016). Automatic Pill Dispenser. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer and Communication Engineering. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Al Mamun, M. A., & Islam, M. S. (2019). Design and Development of an Automated Medicine Dispensing System. 2nd International Conference on Innovation in Engineering and Technology (ICIET). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Singh, P., & Patel, K. (2019). Design of a Multi-Dose Medicine Dispenser with GSM Alert System. 3rd International Conference on Electronics, Communication and Aerospace Technology (ICECA). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Kumbhar, S. R., & Patil, P. M. (2020). IoT-based Smart Medicine Dispenser for Elderly People. IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Computing and Communication Technologies (CONECCT). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Mallikarjun, K., et al. (2023). IoT-based smart medicine dispenser addressing elderly medication. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Nasir, Z., et al. (2023). Smart medical box integrating pill dispensing with health monitoring. Engineering Proceedings. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Rajathreddy, S. (2023). A smart dispenser system aimed at reducing overdose incidents. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Ali, M. (2023). Integrating health monitoring with smart pill dispensing systems. Engineering Proceedings. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Bhadra, D. (2023). An IoT-based medicine dispenser for elderly and disabled users. IJRASET. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Kiranmayi, G. R. (2023). Automated pill-timing mechanisms in smart dispensers using RTC modules. IJRASET. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Tiwari, A., et al. (2023). An IoT-based smart medicine dispenser with automated time-based pill delivery. IJRASET. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Asif, A. (2023). A smart medical box system combining sensors and automated dispensing. Engineering Proceedings. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Tiwari, A., Bhadra, D., & Kiranmayi, G. R. (2023). IoT-based smart medicine dispenser. Proposes an automated pill-dispensing system using sensors and cloud alerts to improve medication adherence, with real-time monitoring for elderly patients. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Thomas, M., & Ruksheed, E. (2025). PILLPORT: An IoT-based automated medicine dispenser. Introduces a multi-compartment dispenser with scheduling and mobile notifications, focused on reducing missed doses in chronic patients. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Gupta, V., & Reddy, S. (2021). RFID-based medicine dispensing system. Uses RFID tags to authenticate medicines and ensure correct dosage, enhancing safety in home-based healthcare. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Lee, J., & Park, S. (2020). Smart medication box with real-time alerts. Integrates Bluetooth and mobile apps for dose reminders and evaluates user-compliance improvements in elderly populations. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Chen, Y., et al. (2019). Smart pillbox with Bluetooth-enabled monitoring. Provides wireless tracking of pill intake using embedded sensors, demonstrating reduced medication errors in pilot studies. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Kumar, P., & Singh, A. (2021). Automated medicine reminder and dispenser for elderly care. Implements RTC-based scheduling with audible alerts, designed for low-cost deployment in rural healthcare. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Fernandes, R., et al. (2021). Smart pill dispenser with Android integration. Combines mobile notifications with compartment-unlocking mechanisms to improve adherence. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Wang, L. (2020). IoT-driven medication management system. Uses cloud dashboards to track patient medication patterns and supports caregivers with remote monitoring tools. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Rani, P., & Kumar, S. (2022). Smart medicine box with voice alerts. Adds speech-based reminders for the visually impaired. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Ibrahim, A. (2020). IoT-based pill reminder for chronic patients. Integrates GSM alerts for missed doses and evaluates system reliability in long-term use. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Singh, R. (2023). Smart medicine dispenser using Raspberry Pi. Implements camera-based verification of pill retrieval with cloud-synced logs for caregivers. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Or, M. (2021). Medication compliance system using sensors. Uses weight sensors to detect pill removal, improving accuracy of adherence tracking. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Li, H. (2020). Smart pill organiser with NFC authentication. Ensures secure access to medication compartments, designed for patients requiring controlled substances. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Das, S. (2022). IoT-based multi-compartment medicine dispenser. Automates dose release using servo-controlled chambers with mobile-based scheduling and alerts. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Mehta, D. (2023). Smart pill dispenser with load-cell accuracy. Uses load-cell sensors to detect micro-dose variations, targeting precision medication for critical-care patients. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• AdverShield-LLM: Adversarial Robustness Certification for IoT-Integrated Retrieval-Augmented Generation via Randomized Smoothing
• Development of Smart Energy Meter for IoT-Enabled Power Monitoring
• Design and Implementation of an IoT-Based House Energy Monitoring System (HEMS) Using ESP32
• IOT Based Braille Keyboard for Visually Impaired