According to doctors, the non-compliance by patients towards their medication results in a loss of over $100 billion, which could be diverted to other areas of healthcare and patient care. When patients decide not to follow the recommended dosage of their medication, it can lead to all sorts of problems, not only for the patient, but for the doctors as well. The digital pill that has been approved by the FDA contains a tiny sensor that’s digestible.

Once the digital pill, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s Abilify MyCite, has been swallowed, the sensor has been programmed to gather information on the behavior of the patient when it comes to taking their medication. The sensor will then send signals out of the body to the doctor to notify them. All this is achieved by the sensor in the digital pill being connected to a smartphone app, which will provide a pattern of their medication routine to the patient. This information can then be shared with their doctor and used during their treatment.

Other than smart drugs, which are totally different since they are used to describe supplements or nootropics, digital therapeutics works by augmenting technology such as apps to help people with conditions such as insomnia, etc. The aim is to use technology to help patients cope with their condition or replace the use of traditional medication altogether.