Rising health concerns in the general public has made an impact on the medical field. Healthcare sector is now focused on research and development with adoption of advanced technology to provide better solutions and medical care. One such implementation of technology is the drug delivery system widely used on a global level. It is based on methodologies that carry drugs into or throughout the body.
Drug delivery technologies include the method of delivery, such as a pill that you swallow or a vaccine that is injected. It also includes devices without pharmaceuticals, such as auto-injectors, jet-injectors, and syringes. Drug delivery system manufacturers sell their products to pharmaceutical firms or to customers through a variety of pharmacies, including retail, hospital, and diagnostic centers pharmacies.
What Is Drug Delivery?
Drug delivery systems can also describe the way that drugs are packaged which will protect the drug from degradation and allow it to travel wherever it needs to go in the body. It delivers drugs at controlled rate, slow delivery and targeted delivery.
This technology focuses on principles related to drug preparation, route of administration, site-specific targeting, metabolism, and toxicity which is useful to optimize efficacy and safety, and to improve patient convenience and compliance
Drug Delivery Methods
Drugs can be introduced into the body via several different routes, generally classified by the location at which the drug is administered. These routes also referred to as drug delivery methods are as discussed below.
1. Buccal drug delivery
Buccal drug delivery describes the administration of a drug through the buccal mucosa i.e. lining of the cheek. The buccal route is often used for extended-release drug delivery, where the drug is released in a controlled way over an extended time period. A variety of formulations have been developed for buccal delivery such as tablets, gels, patches and others.
2. Nasal drug delivery
This involves the delivery of a drug via the nasal cavity of the nose. Nasal spray medications are usually used for the treatment of local diseases affecting the upper respiratory tract. Nasal drug delivery can be mostly used as liquid formulations, however powder formulations are also available for specific purposes.
3. Ocular drug delivery
Ocular drug delivery is used for absorption of drugs through the eye. It uses several different administration routes for the delivery of drugs to specific parts of the eye. However, this method of drug delivery is still more challenging than other methods.
4. Oral drug delivery
Oral drug delivery is the most preferred route of drug administration due to its non-invasive nature, ease-of-use and cost-effectiveness. It assesses the aqueous solubility of the drug compound in the GI system to determine if modifications are required to improve bioavailability.
5. Pulmonary drug delivery
Pulmonary drug delivery describes the administration of a drug via inhalation through the mouth and into the airways. Inhaled medications are an effective means for treating local disease of the lungs.
6. Sublingual drug delivery
Sublingual drug delivery is used for administration of a drug under the tongue. Sublingual absorption is rapid, therefore onset of action is achieved quickly. This route of delivery also avoids hepatic first‐pass metabolism.
7. Transdermal drug delivery
Transdermal drug delivery is non-invasive and suitable for unconscious or vomiting patients. It is a method of delivering a drug systemically by applying a formulation onto intact skin.
Drug Delivery Vehicles
Drug delivery uses carrier systems that have been developed to increase bioavailability and defend drug molecules against degradation. There are three common types of carrier-based delivery as follows.
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Nanoparticles
Nanoparticles can modify their properties, which makes it possible to optimize bioavailability, decrease clearance, and increase stability, making them ideal carriers for delivering a particular drug to its specific target-tissue. These drug delivery vehicles have good solubility and consequently increased bioavailability due to their small size and larger surface area. They can enter the body via three main routes- injection, inhalation, or taken orally.
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Liposomes
Liposomes are spherical vesicles that present themselves as an attractive delivery system due to them possessing flexible biochemical and physicochemical properties allowing them to be easily manipulated. They have a unique ability to encase lipophilic and hydrophilic compounds, making them suitable carriers for a range of drugs.
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Microspheres
Microspheres are small spherical particles that are typically prepared from linear polymers and are described as free flowing powdered drug delivery systems. They have numerous advantageous properties including being; biodegradable, biocompatible and easily administered. Microspheres can be used for both localized and targeted delivery of drugs.
Conclusively, the healthcare industry is continuously evolving and the field of drug delivery has advanced dramatically in the past few decades, and even greater innovations are anticipated in the near future.
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