A drum type container (10) for analytical elements (24) comprises a casing (10) defining a compartment with a plurality of portions (36) for receiving respective ones of the analytical elements. The container further comprises a base assembly (60) to which the casing is rotatably mounted. The base assembly includes a dispenser mechanism (80) for dispensing the glucose test strips from the casing and a locking mechanism (90) for maintaining an alignment of a selected one of the compartment portions with the dispensing mechanism.