Abstract
The oral route is a popular and convenient means of drug delivery. However, despite its advantages, it also has challenges. Many drugs are not suitable for oral delivery due to: first pass metabolism; less than ideal properties; and side-effects of treatment. Additionally, oral delivery relies heavily on patient compliance. Implantable drug delivery devices are an alternative system that can achieve effective delivery with lower drug concentrations, and as a result, minimise side-effects whilst increasing patient compliance. This article gives an overview of classification of these drug delivery devices; the mechanism of drug release; the materials used for manufacture; the various methods of manufacture; and examples of clinical applications of implantable drug delivery devices.
Highlights
The oral route remains the most popular and convenient method of drug delivery, with many advantages
Implantable drug delivery devices have a number of disadvantages including the invasive nature of this delivery method
Current therapeutic applications of implantable drug delivery devices are covered in this article
Summary
The oral route remains the most popular and convenient method of drug delivery, with many advantages. The transdermal route offers advantages such as: avoidance of first pass metabolism; avoidance of gastro-intestinal degradation; and non-invasiveness [2] It has a number of issues which prevent it becoming the ideal drug delivery route. They may minimise potential side-effects of therapy, while offering the opportunity for increased patient compliance [7] This type of system has the potential to deliver drugs which would normally be unsuitable orally [6], because it avoids first pass metabolism and chemical degradation in the stomach and intestine, increasing bioavailability [7]. The prolonged drug delivery that will be achieved without the reliance on patient compliance overcomes these disadvantages Another advantage of implantable drug delivery devices is that they offer the opportunity for early removal if adverse effects require termination of treatment [8,9]
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