THE FIRST DIGITAL PILL

A new article on “https://www.theverge.com/” by Thuy Ong discusses the first digital pill, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This medication is embedded with a sensor that can tell doctors whether, and when, patients take their medicine. The pill called Abilify MyCite is fitted with a tiny ingestible sensor that communicates with a patch worn by the patient; the patch then transmits medication data to a smartphone app, which the patients can voluntarily upload to a database for their doctor and other authorized persons to see. Abilify MyCite is a drug that treats schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.

The Abilify MyCite features a sensor the size of a grain of sand made of silicon, copper, and magnesium. The sensor activates an electrical signal when it comes into contact with stomach acid; the sensor then passes through the body naturally. A patch that the patients wear on their left rib cage receives the signal several minutes after the pill is ingested. The patch then sends data, such as the time the pill was taken and the dosage to a smartphone app over Bluetooth. The patch also records activity levels, sleeping patterns, steps taken, activity, and heart rate, and must be replaced every seven days. The patient’s doctor and up to four other people chosen by the patient, including family members, can access the information. The patient can revoke access at any time.

On the other hand, this drug also has negative effects. According to Dr. William Shrank, chief medical officer of the health plan division at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the drug has harmful side effects and is expensive. Experts have expressed concerns over what the pill might mean for privacy. Some are worried that tracking pills will be a step towards punishing patients who do not comply. Ameet Sarpatwari, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School told The New York Times that the digital pill “has the potential to improve public health, especially for patients who want to take their medication but forget. But if used improperly, it could foster more mistrust instead of trust.”

This innovative digital pill can treat some people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression; however, some threats still exist with the using of the drug. I hope that human beings will use this pill in a helpful way not in deleterious way.

Reference:

Ong, T. (2017, November 14). The FDA has approved the first digital pill. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/14/16648166/fda-digital-pill-abilify-otsuka-proteus