There is provided an apparatus for monitoring compliance, facilitating automatic dispensing and childproofing strip packaged medication. In one embodiment a dispenser advances a packet, controls advancement of the packet and detects the presence and absence of the packet, including electronic circuitry for recording events. A replicate for strip package medication can have packets with an open conductive trace, each packet being rupturable at a location to interrupt conductivity of the conductive trace. When the conductive trace of one of the packets completes an external circuit, the circuit is interrupted when the packet is ruptured. In another aspect, each packet has a tuned antenna that is tuned to an external transceiver which detects the detuning of each antenna. In a method of making a replicate for strip package medication, conductive ink is printed on a surface of each packet of the replicate and longitudinal edges of the replicate are reinforced.