Recent Trend on Transdermal Drug Delivery System and Advancements in Drug Delivery through Skin

Transdermal drug delivery is the application of drug on the skin surface so that it can permeate through the skin and reaches the systemic circulation at sufficient concentration to ensure therapeutic efficacy. Transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) has several advantages over conventional system; TDDS offers sustained drug release, avoidance of first pass effect, patient compliance, ease of application and removal in case of toxicity as well as decrease in the side effects as compared with conventional therapy. The stratum corneum acts as a barrier that limits the penetration of substances through the skin and this limitation can be overcome by permeation enhancing techniques. A transdermal patch has several components such as backing membrane, drug reservoir, adhesive layer, release control membrane and liner etc. This review article provides an overview of TDDS, its advantages over conventional dosage forms, Limitations, various components of transdermal patches, types of transdermal patches, and its methods of evaluation and the advancements done in this field. © 2014 Universal Research Publications. All rights reserved