Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems Key Terms

Get the right vocabulary to understand transdermal drug delivery systems

The nicotine patch is probably the most well-known and widely used example of a transdermal drug delivery system. Birth control patches and patches for the treatment of osteoporosis do the same thing as the nicotine patch: deliver drugs or hormones through the patient's skin in a controlled, continuous dose.

While some medications may not be able to permeate the skin on their own, transdermal drug delivery systems are advancing fast to remedy this with new technology like microneedles. A basic understanding of transdermal delivery systems and the associated key terms will help you keep pace with rapid technological advances.

 

Transdermal drug delivery systems

Transdermal drug delivery systems deliver drugs through the patient's skin instead of by piercing into the body and then releasing the drug below the skin, as with a needle.
Try: Analog Dialogue explains the difference between active and passive transdermal drug delivery systems and how they're applied.

Adhesive Patches

Within the context of transdermal drug delivery systems, adhesive patches adhere to your skin and release medication into your bloodstream at a controlled rate.
Try: Contract Pharma examines the characteristics of various adhesive patch technologies.

First-pass effect

The first-pass effect refers to an oral drug having to pass through the digestive tract and be metabolized in the patient's liver before finally entering the bloodstream. Because transdermal delivery bypasses the digestive system, drugs delivered via a transdermal delivery system are not subject to first-pass effect.
Try: WrongDiagnosis.com explains first-pass effect, also known as first-pass metabolism.

Microneedles

Microneedles are tiny needles sometimes attached to a transdermal medication patch to facilitate the passage of medication through the skin.
Try: Medical News Today evaluates one of the first peer-reviewed studies on human subjects concerning the use of microneedles to deliver transdermal medication.

Drug In Adhesive

Drug In Adhesive (DIA) transdermal patches have the medication implanted directly into the adhesive, as opposed to in a separate layer. DIA transdermal patches often provide more controlled dosage over time than separate layer patches.
Try: 3M explains the advantages of Drug In Adhesive transdermal delivery systems.

Subcutaneous, intramuscular and intravenous

Subcutaneous, intramuscular and intravenous drug delivery are just a few of the delivery methods that researchers in the field of transdermal drug delivery systems are attempting to surpass or replace.
Try: Understanding how varied drug delivery systems differ from transdermal drug delivery, and how they compare to each other, is critical to understanding the particular advantages and disadvantages of transdermal drug delivery. Merck defines, describes and compares a wide variety of drug delivery methods, including subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravenous and transdermal systems.

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