Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla explains Pfizer’s new tech to Davos crowd: “ingestible pills” – a pill with a tiny chip that send a wireless signal to relevant authorities when the pharmaceutical has been digested. “Imagine the compliance,” he says
Imagine the noncompliance…
…and pharmaceutical execs dangling from light posts.
Also, imagine you’re a pharmaceutical exec with zero electronic engineering knowledge.
Not to say what might be vaguely possible sometime in the future, but with today’s tech:
A pill, incorporating both a practical quantity of medication, and a uniquely identifiable RF transmitter.
The transmitter will need an antenna large enough to effectively radiate a signal to reach the receiver.
What is the receiver? My closed, password-protected WiFi network? Or will this ingestible-sized pill include a SIM (even a nano-SIM is 0.48×0.35 inches) so it can utilize the cell phone network? In the case, that’s a lot of micro-cell phones (one per bill, per however many per bottle, per every prescription).
Now imagine a heavily prescribed… I don’t know, a mandated ChinCOVID pill?… drug with millions of people popping them first thing in the morning. I think we’re going to see a little phone network congestion.
Wait. Did I mention the battery this active radiator (as opposed to passive or near-field RFID) will also require.
Sheesh. Thse pills are getting bigger. My niece has trouble with vitamin capsules (kinda funny to watch; but I have a twisted sense of humor).
ETA: Heck; let’s consider some other issues.
To avoid toxic waste buildup in the body, these transmitters will have to be pretty chemically inert, or harmlessly digestible. Inert is doable.
Do we trust Big Pharma to make these transit once, then shut down? Or will the pill continue to report until it passes all the way through? Will these little cell phones be trackable by the CDC so it can track us like cattle?
Hmm. Imagine a 4-times-daily prescription, and all the little pillphones radiating until you crap them out. I think the folks worried about RF exposure from one external cell phone might freak out over 3 or 4 continuously exposing them internally.
Now imagine the pharma and insurance company liability.
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