I think the First Digital Pill in US, Abilify MyCite opens up concerns about patient privacy, but also paves the way for other digital pills. For example, etect Rx is a Florida company that makes another ingestible sensor, the ID-Cap, which has been or is being tested with opioids, H.I.V. medication and other drugs. The company seeks to FDA approval this year.

In a NY Times article the etectRx senior VP, Eric Buffkin,the, says “I get questions all the time, ‘Hey is the government going to use this, and can you track me? Frankly, there is a creepiness factor of this whole idea of medicine tracking. “The thing I tell them first and foremost is there’s nothing to reach out of this technology to pry your mouth open and make you take a pill. If you are fundamentally opposed to this idea of sharing the information, then say, ‘No thank you.’” For Abilify MyCite to address privacy and coercion, Otsuka officials contracted with several bioethicists including I. Glenn Cohen, a Harvard law professor, who says there are safeguards adopted include allowing patients to instantly stop physicians and others from seeing some or all of their data.

I think when technologies are new there is a skepticism and hesitation to adopt, but once they become more popular and rules and regulations/safegaurds are in place, they will become commonplace. In 2018 we are constantly being tracked with our purchasing, apps, and health information. Data is very valuable and I think that this “digital pill” will just be the beginning to more digital pills and regulations that will go along with them. I personally think that if the patient chooses to take digital pills and are aware of the abilities to track and who will be able to see that data that this type of pill could be revolutionary. I agree companies will have to hire bioethicists to make sure patient data is used ethically, but I think the potential benefits outweigh the privacy concerns. Do you think we need to be worried about a Biomedical ‘Big Brother’?

nytimes.2017/11/13/health/digital-pill-fda