For me there are pros and cons of such technology. Yes it may improve treatment adherence especially if your problem is remembering to take your daily dose but only if (a) you agree to take the pill in the first place. If you were prone to paranoia would you readily agree? (b) you have the smart phone to be sent reminders in the first place.
If as a poster says one was sent annoying messages at regular intervals that might put one off taking such a pill.
I am also not sure how much it would improve compliance in those who are reluctant to take medication as opposed to those, like me, who are willing but have a tendency to forget.
If you were ( highly) symptomatic I can see a reluctance to use such medication. I can imagine those who are more stabilised being more willing to try as paranoia will be relatively under control. However if you are already quite stabilised on another medication what would be the additional benefits of switching?
I wear a wristwatch with an alarm that goes off when I need to take my meds. I don’t understand why anyone would need more than that. It cost ten dollars.
The embedded sensor sends signals to a skin patch electrode, which wirelessly transmits information such as vital signs, body position and verification of medication ingestion.
I think there is a huge potential here to enhance treatment. This sounds like it is much more than simply an alarm clock to remind you to take your meds.
The idea of an edible sensor makes me paranoid. I can imagine a dystopian future in which people are forced to be chemically lobotimized thats enforced through these edible sensors.
Criticize the government or corporations? You must be a terrorist or crazy! Now the government will force you to take these meds that make you into a drooling zombie!
It is just not a good idea in my book. A lot of non-schizos would not like the idea of this. It reminds me of the new series Humans where the robot tells the senior citizen what to do and monitors his health, threatening to report him to the medical “authorities” if he does not comply with its commands. In my opinion, this is a step in the wrong direction. Not every new technology should be embraced. The following video is a good satire of this topic.
Its a video from The Onion - a humor web site that “pretends” to do serious stuff - sort of like The Daily Show by John stewart (in fact many of the writers for The Daily Show come from The Onion.
Interesting - this combination of sensor plus drug has been ridiculed before… on The Colbert Report. And it sounds like this could be much more likely to be a strategy to increase the patent life (i.e. get high prices) of a version of Abilify than to help people…
Abilify, used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression, was the number one selling drug in the US in 2013. But in 2015, things came crashing down. Otsuka’s patent for Abilify expired, and the company’s last-ditch attempt to prolong the patent in a convoluted lawsuit with the FDA failed. The FDA approved generic versions of Abilify, also called aripiprazole, in April.
Pharmaceutical companies have a history of reformulating off-patent drugs, changing them to an extended release pill or a liquid version to get a new patent. McQuade, though, contends that the curious timing of this new version of Abilify with a built-in sensor has nothing to do with its patent expiring and everything to do with Abilify being a popular and relatively safe drug that would be easy to get through the FDA’s brand new approval process.
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Why are these companies are so keen on the language of empowerment? Consider how The Colbert Report ripped into Proteus a few years ago. Punchline? “Because nothing is more reassuring to a schizophrenic than a corporation inserting sensors into your body and beaming information to all those people watching your every move.”
Source:
Check out the hilarious Video of Colbert Report on Proteus / Abilify matchup:
Woah woah woah! The sensor sends alerts to your DOCTOR when you don’t take your pill?! That is way too messed up for words! That is disgusting! Why would anyone think that is okay to do?
I believe my doctor is helping me, and I follow my treatment. But I also value having the ability to say, “hey, I feel like taking my meds at midnight tonight so I can stay out with my friends.” I also think taking medication should be entirely voluntary unless the person is an active danger to himself or others. It is one thing to send you a reminder that you need to take your pill. It is entirely another thing to have that pill tattle on you to your doctor. I can’t see this being a good thing outside of like court orders, and even that I’m hesitant to be okay with.
Forgetting to take meds or choosing not to take them a few times isn’t a big deal but if I’m regularly not taking them then I don’t mind my doctor getting on my case about it.
