"An Analysis of The Use of Wearable Technology as A Means of Controlling Drug Delivery Systems and The Challenges Facing Its Usage in Ireland" by BOLATITO TEMITAYO ADEWUMI

 Objectives:

This research aims at exploring how wearables devices can be incorporated in the control of drug delivery systems. Therefore the objectives of this research are to:

1. To define the process involved in the research, development, manufacture, and sale of the wearable device-controlled drug delivery system in Ireland.

2. To identify the risks and challenges involved in the process in Ireland.

3. To examine the effectiveness of this novel technology in Ireland.

4. To define the potential market target and general view about the technology in Ireland. 


Methodology:

The Philosophy of this Research is Pragmatism as a combination of both Quantitative and Qualitative Methodology was used. The Research Approach was an Inductive one and the Research Strategy was to use two Survey methods which are:

1. Questionnaire distributed online, it contains 5 sections with 26 questions and involved 219 respondents Who are Currently Living in Ireland.

2. Interviews via Zoom of 10 – 30 minutes of conversations involving 3 Experts from the Medical Device Industry The Primary Data was analyzed by using Microsoft Excel (Chart Presentation) for the Quantitative method and Thematic Analysis for the Qualitative method
 
Findings:

The popularity of the use of wearable devices in controlling drug delivery systems was determined and only 21% of the participants were familiar with this type of technology (the commonly known one is the insulin pumps). The willingness of the participant to buy or use this technology was tested and 84% of the participants would consider using this technology. To better understand the views of Irish society, the factors influencing the choice of the device was determined. Comfort, Effectiveness and Ease of use had 73.9%, 71.6% and 65.6% of the participants votes respectively. According to the experts, the industry involved is mainly the medical device company and some of the challenges listed were: heavy regulations, market penetration and high cost involved in the Research and Development in form of the time, money, and resources
 
Analysis:

The present market for the wearable device-controlled drug delivery system is very small and the only commonly known one is the insulin pump. However, this study was able to demonstrate that many people in Ireland would like to use this new technology in Ireland. The Irish people would prefer to use these systems instead of the traditional method of using medications. But the choice of use of this type of drug delivery system in Ireland is based on the Size, Look, Comfort, Ease of use, Cost, Effectiveness, Reduced Side Effect and Safety of the devices. It was also established that the manufacture of different drug delivery systems such as insulin pumps, API infused contact lenses and drug-coated stents by different medical devices companies are common in Ireland, and some of these devices are being sold globally. The production of these wearable device-controlled drug delivery systems involves collaboration between medical device companies and pharmaceutical companies.

Conclusions:

The use of wearable device-controlled drug delivery systems in Ireland is at an early stage, but this is expected to change considering that Ireland houses many multinational companies producing these devices. The findings give hope that this will change very soon once the awareness of these products increased. The use of wearable device-controlled drug delivery systems is expected to be the next era in pharmaceuticals especially with the advancement in technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and IoT. There are different use of wearable devices and the market for wearable devices is constantly growing. Its use in vital monitoring and diagnosis is vast. Theoretically, the use and application of this type of drug delivery system is endless and has amazing benefits that will/are revolutionizing healthcare worldwide.