Oral films allow precise and painless administration of medications

Getting young children to take their medication can be tricky, especially if it’s a yucky-tasting syrup, pill, or worse, an injection. Similarly, older people may find it difficult to take large and numerous tablets. Now, researchers have developed an oral film that offers precise, painless and hassle-free drug delivery and is more environmentally friendly, to boot.

Based on their personal and professional experiences of the difficulties of administering medication to the elderly and childrenresearchers from the Department of Pharmacy at the National University of Singapore (NUS) set out to create an innovative solution.

They have developed a new oral film that is placed against the inner lining of the mouth or oral mucosa. interior cheek and the area under the tongue is full of tiny blood vessels called capillaries, which means that drugs can be quickly absorbed through the thin mucous membrane directly into the bloodstream without passing through the digestive system. Avoiding the digestive system provides a way to administer medication to patients with intractable nausea and vomiting, difficulty swallowing, or problems with intestinal absorption.

Each oral film is round and thin and comes in two sizes, equivalent to Singaporean 10 and 20 cent coins; so, about 0.7 in (18.5 mm) or 0.8 in (20 mm) in diameter. Custom ingredients formulated for a particular drug are premixed and added to a drug solution. A volume of the required assay solution is pipetted onto the film, which is then dried using a light oven. The films are then sealed in compact packages.

Once in the moist environment of the mouth, the film swells and dissolves after a predetermined period of time. Anything that remains can be removed or swallowed. All film ingredients are edible and non-toxic.

In addition to reducing the risk of patients choking and/or inhaling syrups, researchers say their approach eliminates dosing errors associated with liquid medication. A previous study found that errors were more than four times more likely to be made with liquid medicine than with a tablet from a pill dispenser.

And because the new delivery method is created on demand for each patient, there is no need for bulky packaging or the inclusion of dosage-measuring devices such as needles and syringes, making the product more environmentally friendly.

“Our films are compounded on demand to ensure they contain the precise dosage and strength for each patient, then sealed in minimal packaging,” said Poh Leng Tan, who was part of the team that developed the film. “This streamlined approach to drug administration not only saves time and money, but also reduces environmental impact.”

The oral film is now marketed by a NUS start-up, PharLyfe+, founded by Chan and his team. They plan to use the film to administer drugs to end-of-life patients, to administer important anti-anxiety drugs in a way that avoids painful injections. Further studies are planned to assess the effectiveness of the drug delivery method in patients with epilepsy.

“Our oral film marks a milestone in personalized and patient-centered medicine, providing a safer and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional methods of drug delivery,” said lead researcher Sui Yung Chan. “The film is very easy to use, allowing patients to manage their treatment with dignity and independence from the comfort of their own home. We look forward to collaborating with healthcare providers to develop and apply the oral films to improve patient care and treatment outcomes.

Source: national university of singapore