Can it be programmed to NOT sound any alarm or beep upon dispensing?

Yes, you can shut the alarm off and just use the flashing red light. I do this because my dog has sensitive ears and takes off when alarms go on. I then have Alexa remind my husband to take the pills at the same time the red light goes off. Less alarming. Lol

Does the item lock so the person can't take more than the allotted number of pills, such as 1 every 4 hours, but no more?

So much depends on the user and the situation! Our current situation does not require use of the locking feature at this time, so we do not know from personal experience. From our reading, while the unit does have a lock (and key), it is not an extremely secure lock. A person with ingenuity and patience could potentially defeat it. On the other hand, simply opening the unlocked unit takes a bit of coordination and is another partial layer of protection. If the lock is used, other considerations come up, e.g. where is an appropriate place to keep the key and who has knowledge/access. We have emphasized to our friend that the unit will deliver medication as needed--if there are pills in the open slot, assume they are to be taken. He typically has been content with that. Initially it took 2-3 weeks, but once our friend decided he was willing to use the dispenser, it has been worth the price. The unit comes with the clear lid in place. That may work well for some, but our friend was shell-shocked to see the number of pills he takes each week (really not so many, given that he is 93!). A quick change to the white lid alleviated that concern. I would suggest starting with the white lid unless your situation indicates the clear one is desired or needed. A CAUTION: After only about 2.5 months of use, it turned out that the batteries had run out and the dispenser stopped working (the unit lives up to its description so well that we assume the warning signals worked as described, but our friend, living alone, simply did not see them). Given the pills he is taking, it was of concern but not critical that he had manually re-oriented the tray a few times. We could still tell how much medication had been taken overall and note that. Some medications are not so forgiving (I am on one). We have now worked out a procedure with him so that he calls us if the unit stops working, rather than trying to fix the situation himself. We will also take steps to change the batteries before they run out in the future. After seeing that our friend and the dispenser were getting along well, we recently purchased a second unit, both to have a second tray filled as a stand-by in case of emergencies and to have a second unit in case the first malfunctions--machines can do that from time to time!

Can I get a replacement lock? The lock is difficult to lock/unlock. It is only 3 months old.

Replacement key? It really is not difficult to open once you get the hang of it. Place thumb on outside case and lift only the clear case. I was trying to open both clear and white portions. Hope this helps. If you really think it is the lock return it for another. Hope this helps.

Units	1 Count
Brand	MED-E-LERT
Format	solid, Lid

Med-E-Lert Premium Locking Automatic Pill Dispenser 28 Slot Electronic Medication Organizer (Clear and Solid White Lids)

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