BUCCAL DRUG DELIVERY USING ADHESIVE POLYMERIC PATCHES

The buccal mucosa has been investigated for local drug therapy and the systemic delivery of therapeutic peptides and other drugs that are subjected to first-pass metabolism or are unstable within the rest of the gastrointestinal tract. The mucosa of the oral cavity presents a formidable barrier to drug penetration, and one method of optimizing drug delivery is by the use of adhesive dosage forms and the mucosa has a rich blood supply and it is relatively permeable. The buccal mucosa is very suitable for a bioadhesion system because of a smooth and relatively immobile surface and accessibility. Therefore, drugs with a short biological half life, requiring a sustained released effect and exhibiting poor permeability, sensitivity to enzymatic degradation, or poor solubility may be good candidates to deliver via the oral cavity. To overcome the drawbacks of tablets flexible patches for use in the mouth have been developed. Erodible and non-erodible adhesive films have been used as bioadhesive films. These adhesive patches for oral mucosal delivery can be used to designed uni or bidirectional systems for buccal tissue absorption.The objective of this article is to review buccal drug delivery of patches (films) by discussing buccal mucosa and pathways of drug absorption and their formulations.