Show
Although LFA Tablet Presses specializes in Pill Presses and Tableting Equipment we understand that there are other methods of drug delivery. In this article we outline the more common means of administering pharmaceuticals and what your business needs to know in terms of the packaging and delivery of the drugs. The method selected for administering drugs to a patient is dependent on the drug’s chemical and physical properties as well as the response desired and the patient’s demographics. Fundamentally drugs can be administered orally (by mouth), parenterally (by injection) or topically (by absorption through the skin). In some cases inhalation may be preferred to oral or parenteral administration and in recent years more drugs have been introduced that are administered by mucoadhesion. All of these forms of administration require different formulations of the pharmaceutical products. OralOral administration of medication is the most common method; it is the most convenient and safest way to give medicine. Administration is in the form of tablet, capsule, emulsion, mixture or as a gel. The body absorbs many of the oral drugs in the market today once they reach the small intestine; some medicines are absorbed from the colon and stomach area. Whilst oral administration is common, there are some medicines that cause irritation of the gastrointestinal tract and other methods may be preferred, as detailed below. Drugs that are administered orally tend to have a slow onset, and release of drug into the body fluids may be prolonged, with less potent effects compared with drugs administered parenterally. Tablets for oral administration can also be placed under the tongue (sublingual) where the drug remains until it is dissolved completely by the saliva and is absorbed by the tissues. Medicines administered by the sublingual method are fast acting as the tissues under the tongue are a rich capillary network of blood vessels, enabling fast absorption of the drug. The sublingual method is also beneficial in that it helps prevent drugs from becoming destroyed by stomach acid, or by hepatic inactivation. In other words, sublingual drugs are absorbed into the circulatory system without having to pass through the gastrointestinal tract or the liver. ParenteralParenteral drugs are administered through the patient’s subcutaneous or intramuscular glands. This method is preferred when the drug is poorly absorbed internally by the body or when it is deactivated by enzymes as it passes through the digestive tract. Parenteral administration is also offered when the patient cannot tolerate any oral medication but needs the medication to take effect quickly. To administer the medicine, the health care provider will use a needle or syringe or an intravenous infusion set.
InhalationMedicines can be introduced into the body by inhalation. There are two classes of substances that are commonly administered by inhaling – volatile and non-volatile.
TopicalTopical medicines are those that are absorbed by the skin. As the skin or dermis is permeable to different liquids, drugs can be easily absorbed by topical application. Other medication can be applied to the skin include liniments, gels, creams, ointments and lotions. RectalSome drugs are designed to be administered through the patient’s rectum. This method is practised if the drug is unpalatable or too large to be administered orally, or when the stomach is non-retentive due to vomiting. MucosalMucosal administration or mucoadhesion, refers to the application of drugs through the mucosal glands in the body including those in the mouth, nose, throat, vagina and rectum. Mucus membranes (mucosae) are the moist surfaces lining the walls of various body cavities including the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. They consist of a connective tissue layer (the lamina propria) above which is an epithelial layer, the surface of which is made moist usually by the presence of a layer of mucus. The epithelia may be either single layered (e.g. the stomach, small and large intestines and bronchi) or multilayered/stratified (e.g. in the esophagus, vagina and cornea). Mucus is present either as a gel layer adherent to the mucosal surface or as a luminal soluble or suspended form. The major components of all mucus gels are mucin glycoproteins, lipids, inorganic salts and water, the latter accounting for more than 95% of their weight, making them a highly hydrated system. The major functions of mucus are that of protection and lubrication. The concept of mucoadhesion has gained considerable interest in pharmaceutical technology since the early 1980s. Mucoadhesive drug delivery systems interact with the mucus layer covering the mucosal epithelial surface, and mucin molecules and increase the residence time of the dosage form at the site of absorption. Mucoadhesive drug delivery systems prolong the residence time of the dosage form at the site of application or absorption. They facilitate an intimate contact of the dosage form with the underlying absorption surface and thus improve the therapeutic performance of the drug. In recent years, many such mucoadhesive drug delivery systems have been developed for oral, buccal, nasal, rectal and vaginal routes for both systemic and local effects. Dosages maybe applied in the form of aerosols, nasal sprays, lozenges, tablets and suppositories. |