Are Digital Pills in Your Future?
New pills raise privacy and ethical concerns over their ability to send a signal to up to 5 people when taken
In November 2017, the FDA approved the digital pill Abilify MyCite to treat schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder(1); a one-month supply costs $1,500, well out of range of affordability for many suffering from schizophrenia(2).
The pill includes a digital sensor that reacts with stomach acid when taken, sending a signal to a patch worn by the patient that then sends a signal to a smartphone app notifying up to five people that the pill was taken.