Selection of Suitable Dosage Form in the Treatment and Management for Onychomycosis by Implementing Analytical Hierarchy Process

Abstract

Onychomycosis is a significant nail disorder due to fungal infection, that causes damage to the finger or toenails. The infection involves the invasion of fungi into nail components like nail matrix, nail bed and nail plate. So the management of onychomycosis is necessary as it causes a negative impact on patients quality of life. The consequences of the disease include pain and disfigurement which in turn leads to burning, vesicle formation or stinging around the nails. The selection of topical treatment methods is a challenge for the dermatologist to achieve effective management of onychomycosis. The study aimed to benefit the dermatologist to select the best dosage form for the treatment by using the Analytical Hierarchy Process -a multicriteria decision-making tool. The various dosage forms available are for the Transungual route includes Nail lacquer, Nail patches, colloidal carriers, Nanoemulsions, Nanoparticles, Liposomes, Microemulsions, Hydrogels/In situ gels. The parameters that help to achieve the reproducibility and consistency for treatment are Drug permeation, Drug distribution, Treatment methods, Therapeutic efficacy, Patient compliance, Treatment strategy. So, it is necessary to incorporate all the factors that influence the dosage form selection in the decision-making process. Due to the side effects of oral antifungal therapies, the various transungual dosage form alternatives selected for the study are Nail patches, Nail lacquers, Nanoemulsions, Microemulsions and in-situ hydrogels. The ultimate ranking of the alternative is based on the composite score. These findings will enable the dermatologist to develop an adequate treatment strategy for the proper management of onychomycosis to improve the quality of life in patients.