DIGITAL PILLS-INNOVATION OR INVASION

1. INTRODUCTION

In the era of globalisation where every state is integrated within a common umbrella,
Digitalisation plays a very important role. It is the process of converting anything in a
physical format to digital format and makes the work easier. Recently US Food and Drug
Administration approved first digital pill in order to keep a track on a patient whether he has
a consumed a prescribed medication at an adequate time. Similarly Asia’s largest diabetes
organization, RSSDI partners with Wealthy Therapeutics to launch South Asia’s first of its
kind clinical trial for Diabetes in Mumbai.

Digital pill are concerned with the patients suffering from serious disease and daily dosage in
necessary to complete the course. A patient is required to wear a patch in his arm which
would be connected to his smart phone so when the pill embedded with ingestible sensor is
consumed by the patient, the sensor would be activated which could immediately send the
signal to the patch which then be forwarded on app in a patient smartphone and lastly from
the smartphone it could be send to the patient’s caretakers.

Although the idea sounds good but the question arises about the privacy of person which has
recently been declared as fundamental right of a person. If a person is not willing to share the
information of his disease then what about his right to privacy. Thus digital pills in the name
of innovation is really an invasion.

2. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The researcher has following objectives in relation to the above mentioned topic:-
  To know the concept of digital pill
 To understand its importance in the present world
 To analyse its necessity of being introduced in the medical field
 To comprehend its nature with right to privacy.

3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The researcher has following research questions:-

 What are digital pills?

 What are the advantages and disadvantages of digital pills?
 How the digital pills are in compliance with right to privacy?
 What are the effect of Digital pills on patient in other jurisdiction where it has already
been introduced?
4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The researcher in the above mentioned project would be following a doctrinal research by
analysing the procedure adopted in institution of digital pills and also compare it with the
cases related to privacy. The researcher would also the check its usage in other jurisdiction
where it has already been introduced.

5. RESEARCH OUTCOMES

The above project would help to know the people the advantages and disadvantages of digital
pills and they could weigh both of them before undergoing such treatment as this is a serious
matter of concern.

6. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
 Colin Poitras, New Digital pills raises personal privacy concerns, available at
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-12-digital-pill-personal-privacy.html

The researcher referred the above Article to understand infringement of privacy by

consuming digital pills.

 Arthur Caplan, Would you take a digital pill? Bioethicists Warns about
privacy risk, available at https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-
news/bioethicist-digital-snitch-pill-may-destroy-our-medical-privacy-n430091
The author in the above mentioned Article talks about advantages and disadvantages of
consuming digital pills. The researcher took this Article to refer the same.

 Puja Upadhayay, the first digital pill-Innovation or Invasion, available at,

https://ldi.upenn.edu/healthpolicysense/first-digital-pill-innovation-or-
invasion

In the above mentioned Article the author raises a question on the nature of the digital pills
itself whether they are really an innovation or just an invasion in the right to privacy.

 Sophie Scott, Digital pill that tracks when patients take their medication
approved in US, available at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-15/digital-
pill-tracks-patients-taking-medication/9150800

The above Article discusses about approval for the first ever digital pills for the schizophrenic
patients in order to improve heath and stop extraneous expenditure incurred by them again
and again.

 Russell Brandom, The frightening promise of self-tracking pills, available at

https://www.theverge.com/2015/10/7/9466121/proteus-digital-pill-tracking-
privacy-quantified-self

The above Article discusses about the scary effect of digital pills. The pills how they are
consumed embedded with matters like silicon and creating sensor inside the body and its
aftermath effects.

 Rebeca Voelkar, Digital pills gain approval, available at

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-
abstract/2667705?redirect=true

The above Article questions upon the authenticity of the Digital pills and insecurity of the
person taking them. The person undergoing such disease wants to hide from everyone but the
patch in arms would bring in notice to everyone that he is suffering from severe disesase.

 https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/pharma/first-made-in-
india-digital-pill-to-undergo-south-asias-first-of-its-kind-trial-for-
diabetes/61656428
The above Article discusses about release of first digital pill for diabetes in South Asian
States.

 https://www.biospectrumindia.com/news/77/10417/indias-first-clinically-
tested-diabetes-digital-pill-to-be-launched-in-mumbai.html

The above Article discusses about the launch of digital pills for diabetes in India and also
talks about its advantages and disadvantages.

 http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/us-approves-first-pill-with-digital-
tracking-device/article20445763.ece

The above Article discusses in detail about the launch of first digital pills, its implications and
consequences on patients suffering from serious disease.

BOOKS REFERRED

 Asmita A Vaidya &Adwait M Vaidya, Cyber Crime & Law in the Information
Technology (1st edition, 2012), A.K. Publications

The researcher referred the above book in order to understand the laws relating to cyber
security and information technology laws.

 P.W. Singer & Allen Friedman, Cyber security & Cyber War- What everyone
needs to know (Indian edition, 2014) Oxford University Press

The researcher referred the above book to know the detail of cyber usage and related aspects
with it.

 5. Anirudh Rastogi, Cyber Law: Law of Information, Technology and Internet

(1st edition, 2014) Lexis Nexis.

The researcher referred the above book to know the threats emerging from sharing
information on cyber forum and various laws related to that.

 Karnika Seth and J. Altamas Kabir, Computers, Internet and New Technology
Laws, (updated Edition, 2013), Lexis Nexis.

The researcher referred the above book to understand how digitalisation in covering every
phase of persons life and sometimes even interrupting privacy of a person therefore the
various laws dealing with the above situation along with various case laws.
 Alan Charles Raul, The Privacy, Data Protection and Cyber Security Law
Review, 169 (3rd Edition, 2016), Gideon Roberton

The researcher referred the above book in order to get a vivid understanding of shared
data by an individual through digitalised means and privacy aspect relating to it.