Drug delivery
Drug delivery
Drug delivery refers to the method and process of administering a pharmaceutical compound to achieve a therapeutic effect in humans or animals.
Pronunciation
- IPA: /drʌg dɪˈlɪvəri/
Etymology
The term "drug delivery" is derived from the English words "drug", which originates from the Old French "drogue" (meaning 'supply, stock, provision') and "delivery", which comes from the Old French "delivrer" (meaning 'to set free').
Definition
Drug delivery systems are engineered technologies for the targeted delivery and/or controlled release of therapeutic agents. Drugs have long been used to improve health and extend lives. The practice of drug delivery has changed dramatically in the last few decades and even greater changes are anticipated in the near future. Biomedical engineers have not only contributed substantially to our understanding of the physiological barriers to efficient drug delivery—such as transport in the circulatory system and drug movement through cells and tissues—they have contributed to the development of a number of new modes of drug delivery that have entered clinical practice.
Related Terms
- Pharmacokinetics: The study of how an organism affects a drug, in terms of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.
- Pharmacodynamics: The study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of action.
- Bioavailability: The fraction of an administered drug that reaches the systemic circulation.
- Drug metabolism: The process by which the body breaks down and converts medication into active chemical substances.
- Drug delivery system: The method or process of administering a pharmaceutical compound to achieve a therapeutic effect in humans or animals.
- Controlled release: A system that provides continuous delivery of a drug for an extended period of time.
- Targeted drug delivery: A method of delivering medication to a patient in a manner that increases the concentration of the medication in some parts of the body relative to others.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Drug delivery
- Wikipedia's article - Drug delivery
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