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| Drug Delivery Microchip in Development: Rants and Musings of a Retail Pharmacist |
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by The Redheaded Pharmacist - February 20, 2012
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Provided by The Redheaded Pharmacist
What would you say to the idea of having a small microchip implanted under your skin that could be controlled remotely to deliver medications instantly into your body? Does it sound like some sort of science fiction plot? What if I told you that developers were working on just such an idea now and there are even human clinical trials underway as we speak?
According to BBC News, there are United States scientists working on technology that they hope will yield an implantable device that could deliver medications to a patient on queue. The device, currently being tested in a select number of females for osteoporosis treatment, is a microchip that would be placed under a patient’s skin. It could be loaded with medication, which would be released remotely or at a set timed interval.
It could be one of the most elaborate drug delivery systems every conceived. The devices would deliver drugs through a complicated system to the surrounding capillaries into the patient’s bloodstream. But before you get too excited (or worried), this technology is still years away from being approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment.
The thoughts of some little microchip releasing drugs at a given interval seems like it could be dangerous or even reckless. But the possibility of an effective delivery system like a microchip opens the door for all kinds of practical applications in medicine. You could make drug regimens that just aren’t possible now with traditional drug delivery systems.
Chronic pain patients could have pain medications delivered on a round the clock schedule to better control their condition. Diabetes sufferers could get needs blood glucose regulation 24 hours a day. The possibilities are endless, if the system proves to be both safe and reliable enough to trust loading it with potent prescription medications and then implanting those devices in patients. But that is one big if in my opinion.
The obvious upside to technology such as this drug delivery microchip is it’s potential to tackle one of the biggest obstacles to proper medical care- compliance. Patients would no longer have to worry about giving themselves regular shots or taking regularly scheduled doses of a medication to treat a chronic condition. Instead, there would be a programmed interval for the drug delivery by the chip or the patient could control the process using a remote. Either way would most likely make it easier for patients to be on regular drug regimens.
But one can’t help but wonder if the promise of convenience is pushing modern medicine into areas better left uncovered. Is convenience really worth the risks involved in a technology such as a microchip when complications could result in an overdose if the device malfunctions while implanted in a patient’s body?
Is this really how we should be spending our time, effort, and money with regards to medical research? Or is a story like this simply a sign of the times and the great advances we’ve achieved over the years in the field of medical science?
I’d like to think an idea such as a drug delivery microchip to be an optimistic possibility down the road. When you really think about it, this idea isn’t any more bizarre than say an artificial pacemaker. If we can come up with a device that stimulates the heart to beat properly why can’t a device come to exist that delivers drugs on a regular basis?
Part of me wants to dismiss a story like this as simply fun medical research that will never become an actual treatment option for providers. Just like the concept cars that never seem to hit the dealership showrooms, there is an expectation of failure to projects like this that are so far removed from traditional drug delivery systems.
But anything is possible. And this technology is closer to becoming a reality than you might expect. But would you feel comfortable having a device implanted inside your body that would deliver drugs into your bloodstream at the press of a button? Is such an idea even safe to pursue in clinical trials? I know one thing: that is one remote control you’d better not lose! These are strange times in the world of medicine. Very strange times indeed!
The Redheaded Pharmacist
The Redheaded Pharmacist has been working full time in retail pharmacy for more than a decade. He is in his mid 30s, and, yes, he has red hair.
Disclaimer: This blog represents the opinions of the author and the author alone. It does not represent any pharmacy group or organization. I also will leave out or change the names of patients/customers to protect their privacy and comply with government regulations regarding patient privacy rights and personal information.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
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