Push On To Implant Microchips In Humans

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WFTV
Posted : 2007-05-09

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Veterinarians have been implanting microchips into pets for years but there's a recent push to put them in humans. Now, Central Florida hospitals are putting in the technology that would allow them to scan your arm and pull up your medical records.

Orange County Animal Services has implanted microchips in dogs and cats for years for identification. If the pets are lost, they can be scanned. A code comes up and the owner can be found in a computer data base.

"We sell approximately three million chips in the companion pet market on an annual basis," said Scott Silverman of the Verichip Corporation in South Florida.

A few years ago Verichip's doctors started thinking about using the technology in humans. The chip has Food and Drug Administration approval. It gets injected in the patient's upper right arm and the chip is about the size of a grain of rice.

Right now, the main push is Verichip's medical record identification system called Verimed. Just like in animals, the microchip holds a 16 digit identification number. That number is linked to a computer database containing your medical records.

"I decided to get it right away because I knew it was an important new technology that can help people," said Orlando physician Rafael Pinero.

He has the chip in his arm. He's also recommending it to some of his patients, especially high risk patients or people with chronic diseases.

He envisions a scenario where a patient ends up unconscious and in the emergency room. The hospital could scan the person and immediately find out what medications he or she was taking, allergies, blood type and other information doctors could use to help save a life.

"I think it will be great if every single hospital has this technology," said Verichip's Silverman.

Right now, Health Central Hospital in Ocoee and Florida Hospital Celebration have signed on to use the Verimed system.

Verichip is working to build its infrastructure and is trying to sign up more hospitals to get the scanner and computer equipment and convince more doctors to inject their patients.

Silverman is billing it as technology that will revolutionize the way medical records are kept.

"Here we are in the information and technology age and 97 percent of physicians keep your medical records in a manila folder," he said.

He expects it will someday be as prevalent in hospitals or ambulances as the scanners are now at vet offices and animal clinics across the country.

The patient can decide what kind of information is in the database and who can access it. The chip itself costs about $200, plus whatever your doctor charges for the visit and injection.

There is also an annual fee ranging from $20-$80 depending on how much information you want stored in the database.