New microchip ensures compliance

FDA approves Proteus Digital Health's e-pills for dose monitoring

An "ingestible sensor" doesn't sound like the tastiest of snacks, but soon it might be just what the doctor ordered. A tiny microchip which activates upon contact with stomach acid has recently been given the green light by the US FDA. When the sensor is swallowed, an external patch picks up its signal and shoots a message over to whoever it's supposed to. The technology is aimed at tackling an issue known in the healthcare biz as compliance -- or, following instructions. Correct timing and dose are important for many drugs, and lax schedules can be responsible for treatment failures or the development of nasty drug-resistant bugs. Although the pills have only been used in trials, one pharmaceutical heavyweight has already bagged a license to the technology for real-world applications. If you don't like the thought of a belly full of microchips, no need to worry -- the harmless sensors pass naturally after completing their mission.

Link: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/01/fda- ... le-sensor/

On one hand, it makes a lot of sense. For example, tuberculosis has recently developed an extremely resistant strain that is resistant to all tuberculosis drugs because people took then and then stopped before the drug completely did its work, allowing the resistant strain to pass onto soemone else who does the same thing with a different drug, so on and so forth.

On the other hand, getting all up and chipped shows that the docs have no trust in us to even take the pills they assign us... It is a question of if humanity is really that incompetent or if we are being played for fools.

When I was paranoid I was all over this, haha. My dad works on EHR he has a cool job, making this software which helps doctors correctly assess symptoms. I was in his office flipping through a magazine on the future of Medical Compliance and Hospitals, the magazine was probably his boss'. I took the magazine. It scared me to imagine it being used in psychiatry because often doctors don't give you the right medications, and many psych medications have dangerous side effects. But my dad doesn't work on medical compliance or anything like that. He mostly writes the software for medical records making it doctor friendly.

I'm pretty compliant with medication, as I need it. But, stimulants on the other-hand I can't take--and if my doctor were to ignore my complaints and keep me on it--using this medical compliance stuff, my life could be in danger. I had to stop taking Adderall because of it making me agitated, but my therapist thinks I'm spacier without it. So having to battle with doctors on what you know is right for you and what they think is better, could become more of an issue than it already is.

Maybe I'm just too idealistic, but I like the idea of doctor-patient trust.

One possibility though. What if the patient takes less than the recommended dose and comes back in a month or two without incident. Would some doctors consider lowering the dose, especially if the patient requests it? I'm just thinking that the chip could be used by the patient to some advantage, but it seems doubtful...

Call me a pessimist, (because I am) but whenever I see new technologies like this the first thing I think of is their potential for abuse.

You know what's next? Insurance companies that charge you more when they find out that you're not doing EXACTLY what the doctor ordered.

On this abuse thought, descrimination could be a problem.

There may be a way to make devices that people could buy that would detect chips, so they would know if you're on meds for being mentally ill. Even if such devices were with law enforcement only, descrimination could be a real problem. Maybe airports would scan for them... Where's the limit?

Their really is no limit because there is almost no self regulation in the industry.