Trackable Medication.

Late last year the FDA approved the first ever trackable pill. The pill is the first to include a tracking device that transmits information about when it is taken to a smart phone.

The development could be a breakthrough for the health industry and yet many are questioning the ethics of this type of data transmission and what it means for privacy.

A common problem that is faced in medical treatment, particularly for mental health, is ensuring that individuals are taking their medication regularly and on time.  Generally, these are patients that are on prescriptions and will be taking medicine for longer periods of time. Should medical professionals be able to monitor patients taking their medication, they would be able to better assess its effectiveness and advise on how to improve the usage of drug treatment.

The issue many are having with the news is the sharing of personal data and whether this in an unnecessary intrusion on patient privacy. However, it is argued that the patients that will be treated with this pill and at risk individuals who can be greatly helped with this option of medication and so the share of data is in their best interests.

As developments go, this is pretty major. Provided the introduction of this pill is successful, it could open the door to many other medical advances in which tracking through the body can be possible. The more the medical profession can know and observe, the better informed they are for treating their patients. We hope to see many exciting developments coming soon for the industry.