Opioids, such as oxycodone, are routinely prescribed for short-term pain management following pain-inducing injuries. However, their use is associated with the development of tolerance and addiction, due in part to dosage mismanagement by patients. Recently, the FDA approved the use of the first digital pill administered in combination with a prescription drug. Digital pills, which contain a biosensor plus a prescribed drug encapsulated in gelatin, can be ingested together to help track drug use patterns.
Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston have reported, for the first time, the application of this novel technology to track oxycodone use in patients with acute fracture pain. The pilot study describes the outcome of 15 acute fracture patients who were prescribed oxycodone digital pills for pain management on an as-needed basis, and tracked for opioid ingestion over time. The ID-Cap digital pill system from eTectRx, a Newberry, Florida firm whose CEO we recently interviewed, was used, which comprises a radiofrequency emitter and a gelatin capsule containing oxycodone. Release of the oxycodone from the capsule triggers activation of the emitter, which relays information to an external patch located on the patient’s abdomen, and subsequently to a reader that stores drug ingestion data.
The results showed that opioid self-administration occurred over a shorter period of time and with the ingestion of less pills than expected. Patients ingested an average of six pills out of the total 21 pills prescribed. This study provides important pilot data regarding the utility of the digital pill as an investigational tool for direct assessment of opioid ingestion and patient self-administration behavior. In the future, the digital oxycodone pill could be used by physicians to monitor and identify escalating opioid use, and intervene in cases of suspected tolerance or addiction development.
Study in journal Anesthesia and Analgesia: Oxycodone Ingestion Patterns in Acute Fracture Pain With Digital Pills…
Link: eTectRx…