By Heather Hamilton, contributing writer
The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a digital pill — that is, the first pill with an internal sensor that will tell doctors how often the drug was taken. The FDA said that the atypical anti-psychotic drug Abilify MyCite is the first medication approved with a digital ingestion tracking system.
The drug is designed to treat schizophrenia, acute treatment of manic and mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder, and for use as an add-on for treatment of depression in adults. It works by transmitting information collected by the internal sensor to a wearable patch that then sends data to a smartphone app or caregivers who are monitoring the patient.
CBS reports that the pill will come in a box with a warning explaining that it is not intended for elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis as it may increase their risk of death. The drug has also not been proven safe or effective for use in children.
While innovative, the FDA says that the product has not been proven to improve patient compliance, and detection may not happen as described — or at all. The pill contains copper, magnesium, and silicon (all found in foods), and when stomach acid hits it, it generates an electrical signal. Of course, before data is shared, patients must sign a consent form.
Pills don’t always require sensors, but for drugs that treat diseases like schizophrenia, they can be a big help. Because treatment is so essential, these digital pills help ensure that medication is reaching its destination.
Still, Gizmodo speculates that this technology has the power to go poorly. First, compulsory court-ordered medical treatment threatens to breach civil rights, and this pill allows anyone with access to the data insight into how often a patient is taking the pill. Gizmodo also points out that big data is frequently commercialized into semi-anonymous records that actually reveal information about individual patients. Should advertisers know even more, there’s no telling how that information might be used, except that it will probably result in higher insurance premiums.
Some also worry that, given that schizophrenia is often accompanied by paranoia, pills containing sensors might be better introduced as part of another treatment.
Forbes says that medications containing digital technology may eventually pave the way for other types of monitoring within the body, eventually using other “senses” — eyes, ears, and noses, instead of just mouths.
While there are potential negative applications for this technology, it definitely marks a new era in technology and medicine. Here’s to hoping there’s never a time when your floss can tell your dentist exactly how often you aren’t using it.
Sources: Food and Drug Administration, Gizmodo, CBS, Forbes
Image Source: Pixabay
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