Transdermal drug delivery: Past, present, future trends

Abstract

Transdermal delivery of medications was foreshadowed in earlier eras by the use of certain plasters and ointments. A transdermal patch or skin patch is a medicated adhesive patch that is placed on the skin to deliver a specific dose of medication through the skin and into the bloodstream. Often, this promotes healing to an injured area of the body. An advantage of a transdermal drug delivery route over other types such as oral, topical, etc is that it provides a controlled release of the medicament into the patient. A disadvantage to development however, stems from the fact that the skin is a very effective barrier. A wide variety of pharmaceuticals can be delivered by transdermal patches.The present paper highlights the various aspects of transdermal drug delivery system, their advantages, limitation and applications