🧪T2.1 📚 TEXT 1. What are Drug Delivery Systems?
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What are Drug Delivery Systems?
Drug delivery refers to approaches, formulations, technologies, and systems for transporting a pharmaceutical compound in the body as needed to safely achieve its desired therapeutic effect.
Drug delivery systems are methods which are used to ensure that drugs get into the body and reach the area where they are needed. These systems must take a number of needs into account, ranging from ease of delivery to effectiveness of the drugs. Several companies specialize in developing methods of drug delivery, marketing these products to pharmaceutical companies, and other pharmaceutical companies develop their own systems. Many of these methods are patented and proprietary.
When a drug is administered, the dosage must be carefully calculated so that the body can use the drug, which requires a drug delivery system, which allows for precise dosing. Healthcare professionals also need to consider the way in which a drug is metabolized by the body. For example, some drugs are destroyed in the intestinal tract, which means that they cannot be introduced to the body in this way. Others may be dangerous in large amounts, which means that a time release method should be used to deliver the drug for patient safety.
Topical drug delivery systems involve the introduction of a drug to the surface of the body, in a formulation which can be absorbed. Skin patches are an example of topical drug delivery systems. Other systems involve sprays applied to the mucus membranes of the nose, inhalation aerosols, eye drops, or creams which may be rubbed into the skin. These systems are often very easy for patients to use, which makes them appealing.
Enteral drug delivery systems rely on introducing a drug to the digestive tract, classically through the mouth or rectum. Direct infusion through gastric tubes is another option for getting drugs into the digestive tract.
Parenteral systems involve the injection or infusion of a compound into the body. Many vaccines, for example, are delivered through parenteral systems, as are the drugs used in chemotherapy, which are infused into the body for reliable administration. Implants and infusion pumps may be used for drug delivery in patients with chronic conditions.
In all cases, the goal of a drug delivery system is to get the right dosage to the right place. Patients tend to prefer methods which are painless and easy, which is why many pharmaceuticals come in the form of topical and enteral methods which can be taken by mouth or applied directly to the skin. In clinical environments, perenteral routes can be more common, especially for controlled substances, because these methods allow for greater control over how and when the drugs are used.
What is Targeted Drug Delivery?
For certain diseases, such as cancer, treatment is only effective on certain parts of the body or cell types. Targeted drug delivery is a method of treatment that attempts to distribute medicine only to the areas that require or can benefit from it. The goal is to increase effectiveness and cut down on waste. This is usually achieved either chemically, micromechanically, or by selective external delivery.
At the most basic level, targeted drug delivery is the science of getting medication where it is needed. Normal drug delivery through traditional liquids or pills often disperses medication throughout the body, and only small portion of is actually used for treatment. This method requires a higher overall dose of the medicine. When the drug is aimed at specific targets, it can be more effective at lower concentrations, reducing both cost and the amount of foreign substances introduced into the body.
Targeted drug delivery takes a number of forms. Local anesthetic is an example of selective external delivery, as the drug only numbs a certain area. In this case, the targeting is very obvious. By contrast, some treatments of diseases such as cancer require distinguishing between individual cells. They may have to find a way to treat parts of the body that are not easily accessible. The brain, for example, is delicate and complicated enough to be problematic for many forms of medication. Chemical or micromechanical targeted drug delivery is applied in these cases to obtain the necessary precision.
Chemical targeted drug delivery usually involves developing a medication that will react only under certain conditions; this may be in certain areas or in the presence of a particular chemical cocktail. Micromechanical drug delivery uses nanosystems and other tiny delivery methods including valves to release drugs only after a predetermined length of time, or to cells that fit a certain set of parameters. Oftentimes, micromechanical methods will emulate or take advantage of the human body’s natural functions such as blood circulation or absorption of certain nutrients.
Targeted drug delivery is a popular field of research, as most people have a personal stake* in their own or their loved ones’ health. Many drugs used in cancer treatment are toxic to healthy cells as well as tumorous ones, and so being able to target only the unwanted cells makes it possible to greatly reduce the suffering of those who are ill. In addition to major illness, however, it is thought that targeted drug delivery can help improve general health by allowing for patient-specific and time-delayed nutrients.
* Have a personal stake - to have a strong interest in something.
Последнее изменение: Wednesday, 15 March 2023, 14:40
