Should You Let Your Doctor Monitor Your Medication Intake?

A new pill has been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) that, when swallowed, notifies a monitoring device you wear that you actually took the medication. Sounds invasive and a gross violation of your privacy? Well, it would be. Except for the small problem that every year, millions of people say or agree to take a medication, and then stop taking it when they start to feel better. It’s a long-standing problem for people diagnosed with certain types of mental illness, and leads to serious and significant problems — for the patient, their family, and society as a whole. The new medication is called Abilify MyCite, and is the result of an innovative collaboration between Abilify’s manufacturer, Otsuka, and Proteus Digital Health, a California company that created the sensor. People who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and some people with clinical depression, are sometimes prescribed Abilify, an antipsychotic medication. This medication helps treat some of the symptoms associated with these disorders. The Seattle Times has the scoop: The sensor, containing copper, magnesium and silicon (safe ingredients found in foods), generates an electrical signal when splashed by stomach fluid, like a potato battery, said Andrew Thompson, Proteus’ president and chief executive. After several minutes, the signal is detected by a Band-Aid-like patch that must be worn on the left rib cage and replaced after seven days, said An...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Antipsychotic Bipolar Disorders General Medications Schizophrenia Treatment abilify mycite medication sensor medication tracking sensor that you swallow swallable sensor tracking medications Source Type: blogs