Myths About Implantable Chips

Implantable microchips can provide life-saving data in emergencies. Opposition to them is too often based on misinformation about what they can do

by Scott R. Silverman

Editor's note: This is the first in a series of perspectives on implantable microchips.

You have no doubt heard heart-warming stories about radio frequency identification, or RFID, microchips that reunite lost pets with their owners. These life-saving devices have been used safely for more than 15 years in tens of millions of dogs and cats around the world. There are more than 70,000 scanners in animal shelters and veterinary offices and, each month, more than 8,000 dogs and cats are reunited with their owners (rather than, in many cases, being euthanized) as a result of this technology. Pet microchipping is globally recognized as the best way to identify lost pets.

You may not know that a similar device has been cleared by the Food & Drug Administration for use in humans. It's marketed by my company, VeriChip Corp. (CHIP), and it's not only effective and safe, supported by years of successful use in the pet world, but it can also save a patient's life in the first critical minutes of an emergency situation. I'd like to clear up some misconceptions surrounding this device.

Medical Information Is Private

Cleared by the FDA in October, 2004, VeriChip's VeriMed Patient Identification System consists of a radio frequency identification (RFID) microchip that stores a unique, 16-digit number; a proprietary reader; and a personal health record (PHR) database. The microchip is implanted through a simple injection above the triceps area of a patient's right arm and, once scanned, links to a secure PHR database providing the patient's identification information, PHR, and other relevant information the patient desires to communicate. The password-protected information, transmitted through an Internet-enabled computer, gives emergency department staff rapid and secure access to the information they need to make better health-care decisions during an emergency.

Some question whether the system keeps sensitive medical information safe. The microchip can provide hospital staff with all of a patient's medical information, including illnesses or previous surgeries, medication allergies, and current medications the patient is taking. Only authorized emergency department personnel at authorized hospitals are able to scan the microchip from a secure range of just a few inches. It is impossible to obtain the patient's information unless the person has authorized access to the PHR database. That authorization comes from the patient, through his PHR database. For years, our company has enforced a strict privacy policy that starts with the voluntary use of our VeriMed Patient Identification System and its opt-in and opt-out capabilities. Our company was built around one simple premise: the decision to receive the VeriMed microchip, like any other medical device, should be a choice made by the patient or his or her loved one or guardian.

The Chips Are Safe

Last year a story was published by the Associated Press alleging implantable microchips cause cancer—an accusation we firmly dispute. This story referred to three studies that linked implantable microchips to malignant tumor formation. It is important to point out that none of these studies was designed to investigate the microchip as a cause of tumor growth and the findings were incidental to the research. It is also important to note that these studies used mice and rats specially bred and altered to increase their susceptibility to cancers. It is also critical to note that as part of the primary design of the studies, the mice and rats were exposed to various cancer-causing agents such as X-ray radiation and chemical carcinogens. It is therefore impossible from these three studies to relate any tumor growth directly to the implanted microchips. The medical profession and those familiar with laboratory research understand these very important differentiators and the public must as well. Most importantly, the FDA continues to support its approval of the product.