Considerations for topical and transdermal drug delivery in older adults

Abstract

The transdermal delivery of drugs to the systemic circulation is an established route of drug administration for a variety of small molecules. Transdermal drug delivery is characterized by constant plasma profiles through zero-order drug release for up to several days, the circumvention of the first-pass metabolism as well as its noninvasive alternative to oral dosing. Several drugs have been developed for chronic or acute conditions affecting older adults like for example pain, M. Alzheimer and M. Parkinson. Transdermal drug delivery offers some key advantages for the treatment of older adults, but also requires special attention when prescribed to older patients taking into account the individual risk– benefit profile. This chapter is intended to provide a short overview on transdermal drug delivery with the focus on older patients and reviews the major transdermal drug delivery products.