Abstract: An applicator for dispensing metered amounts of medicaments in stick formulations is comprised of a hollow tube and a piston mounted to slidingly move within the tube. A finger operable base is rotatably mounted at one end of the tube and is mechanically linked by a screw member to the piston to urge the piston towards the other end of the tube. A depressible thumb piece is associated with the rotatable base. An extension or post is associated with the thumb piece to extend inward of the tube and to register with a race formed inside the tube. The race has a series of detents with which the extension may register upon rotation of the base. Registration between the extension and the detents signals certain increments of rotation or prevents further rotation of the base. The thumb piece is depressed inward to bring the extension out of registration with the detents.