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Scientists have revealed they are developing a small implant which could help the medicine go down for forgetful patients.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh said the tiny device – which is about 5mm across – would release a regular dose of drugs for illnesses such as glaucoma.
And they said that once it was fitted it would dispense with the need for medication to be taken in other ways, such as via injection or orally, while patients would not have to remember to take their pills.
The device, which could be implanted at various points in the body to tackle an array of problems, would be capable of delivering a daily dose for up to a year, according to the research published in the Institution of Engineering and Technology Nanobiotechnology journal.
The team said they are still in the early stages of developing the implant and are looking to secure more funds before they can trial and produce it.
Researcher Stewart Smith, from the University of Edinburgh’s Institute of Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, said: “This could have many potential benefits in the future for delivering medication to a localised area.
“Being able to develop such technology, which is wireless, will mean that the implants can be created on a minute scale without the need for bulky batteries.”
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