Principles of Drug Delivery
Start with the big picture
Delivery systems are designed to maintain drug levels within the therapeutic window and balance efficacy, duration, safety, and patient acceptability. Design decisions draw on properties such as solubility, stability, permeability, pKa, and molecular weight, alongside biopharmaceutic factors including BCS class and first-pass metabolism. Routes of administration differ in bioavailability and onset. Immediate-release systems support rapid drug release, while modified-release systems change the rate, timing, or site of release. Further approaches include controlled-release mechanisms, targeted delivery, multiparticulates, nanocarriers, mucoadhesive formulations, and prodrugs. Physical characteristics, excipients, stability, sterility, and quality control also influence formulation performance.
What you'll learn
- Explain the therapeutic goals that guide drug delivery system design.
- Identify drug and biopharmaceutic factors that influence formulation and route selection.
- Distinguish immediate-release from modified-release systems.
- Describe major controlled-release and targeted delivery approaches.
- Recognize formulation, stability, and quality factors that affect delivery performance.
Continue your study
Work through the complete notes and reinforce the topic with the study tools available in the full lesson.
