Advancements in technology are said to happen exponentially. Known as Moore’s Law, it is the idea that the more technology advances, the faster this happens. Ten years ago smartphones didn’t exist; thirty years ago, no one owned a computer; and it was only just over a century ago that the Wright brothers took their first flight.

Technology has created many a device that we could never have dreamed of and now, a team of scientists from Japan and the US have created an FDA approved digital pill. Known as Abililfy MyCite, the pill is embedded with a sensor that allows doctors to know when, and whether, their patients have taken their medicine.

The patient has to wear a plaster-like patch on their left rib cage, which will detect the pill’s signal. The sensor, which is the size of a grain of sand, contains copper, magnesium and silicon, which are all safe to ingest. Once the pill is taken, on contact with stomach fluid, the sensor releases an electric signal that is picked up by the patch and relayed to a smartphone app via Bluetooth.

The data collected on the app can be voluntarily shared by the patient with their doctor, as well as up to four additional people. Patients can, at any time, chose to block their doctor from seeing their records. The app also lets the patient log their mood, while the patch tracks activity levels, sleep patterns, heart rate and steps.

The pill is a version of Abilify, a psychotic used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorders and it has been designed to address the growing issue of people not taking their medication properly. It should be available by next year, pending cost decisions and the reaction from insurance companies in the US.

Whether this pill is a positive game changer or Big Brother made real, it is another development that demonstrates how powerful technology can be when it works with us to make our lives just that little bit easier.