'Transdermal' may travel to other drugs

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Abstract
"Transdermal" is the catchword in a number of drug advertisements these days. But delivery of medications by the transdermal route really is not a new concept, as a variety of drugs that are readily absorbed through the skin have been available in ointment form since the 1950s. Certainly, for the right drug, transdermal delivery has several advantages over oral administration. It eliminates irregular gastric absorption as well as "first pass" inactivation by the liver. Moreover, constant absorption through the skin maintains relatively consistent blood levels of the drug. Yet the ointments present one major disadvantage: When applying them, it is difficult to achieve precise drug dosages. This difficulty is largely eliminated by the new transdermal patches, in which a defined rate of drug release over a prescribed period of time is possible. The patches are worn on the chest or arm or behind the ear and dispense drugs for up

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