Innovations in drug delivery

Abstract

Earlier articles in this series focused on specific classes of drugs that require therapeutic drug monitoring for optimal results. As these articles stressed, the goal of therapeutic drug monitoring is to keep the plasma concentration of the drug within the therapeutic range. Over the past decade or so, a number of new dosage forms have been devised to make this goal easier to reach. Besides prolonged-release oral preparations, these dosage forms include various types of ocular, subcutaneous, and transcutaneous delivery systems. Dr Conrad describes these innovations, discusses when they should be used, and weighs their advantages and disadvantages.