The topical drug route of drug administration is a drug delivery system by applying it to body surfaces such as skin or mucous membranes. It offers significant advantages as the skin is ideal for both systemic and local effects, although it also has some disadvantages compared to other routes, let's check them.
Medications are used to treat a wide variety of diseases, but they only effective when they reach their site of action therefore the different routes are used to deliver active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) to the site of action. The route of drug administration is generally selected by the location or site to which the drug is applied or where the target of action is.
The topical route of drug administration is a method of delivering medication that is applied to a particular part of the body to produce the pharmacological effect of the drug. To treat various diseases there are many common formulations used in transdermal medicine such as ointments, creams, lotions, liniments, gels, patches, sprays, and powders, etc.
Advantages of the topical route of drug administration:
- The major advantage of the topical route of drug administration is that it is convenient for patients who have difficulty swallowing solid oral dosage forms (tablets, capsules, caplets).
- It is convenient, simple and Self-medication can possible for patients, it just needs to be applied to the affected area or specific site.
- It can provide or cover a larger area of application than the other route.
- It is also convenient and simple than the parenteral route (injection) since it does not produce pain.
- No high concentration of the drug is required; it can work with low concentration.
- It provides a high level of patient satisfaction.
- The gastro-intestinal incompatibility will be avoided by using this route.
- The topical route of drug administration can offer high levels of patient compliance and satisfaction.
- No issue of unpleasant taste and smell of drugs, suitable for the child and elderly patients.
- Medication that is administered orally can cause various digestive side effects, a topical route of drug administration eliminates this limitation as it bypasses the first-pass metabolism.
- It gives better adhesion and lasts long after application hence it gives prolonged action.
- Topical dosage forms are more stable in atmospheric conditions than oral and parenteral dosage forms.
Disadvantages of the topical route of drug administration:
- The major disadvantage of the topical route is that the drugs having poorly lipid-soluble and high molecular weight are not absorbed by the skin or mucous membranes.
- Rapid onset of action may not be possible as the drug takes some time to penetrate (absorb).
- Patients feel uncomfortable, as staining or messing of clothes is often associated with the use of ointments, creams, pastes, and gels.
- Another disadvantage of the topical route is that it has no dosing accuracy.
- It is difficult to formulate with different drugs and ingredients or excipients.
- It is not suitable for all patients; some patients may face local skin irritation or allergenic reactions.
Commonly asked questions on the route of drug administration are as follows.
What are the different routes of administration?
Oral, sublingual, intravenous, subcutaneous, intramuscular otic, transdermal, inhalation, nasal, and rectal different routes are used to provide medication.
How are topical drugs absorbed?
Typically, a topical medication is applied to the skin, wherever the active ingredients either treat the site of application or are absorbed into the bloodstream through the dermis.
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