Management of pain using transdermal patches

Abstract

Transdermal delivery is a non-invasive route of   drug administration through the skin surface that can deliver the drug at a predetermined rate across the dermis to achieve a local or systemic effect. It  is  potentially used as an alternative to oral route of drugs and hypodermic injections. Analgesics are mostly used for various diseases as most of them are associated with severe or mild pain .The use of analgesics as a pain relief patch is now being used commonly. A transdermal analgesic or pain relief patch is a medicated adhesive patch used to relieve minor to severe pain. Currently, the patches are available for many Opioids , Non opioids analgesics. Local anesthetics  and antianginal drugs. The drugs include Fentanyl, Buprenorphine ketoprofen, diclofenacepolamine , piroxicam , Capsaicin ,Nitroglycerine  and Lignocaine . They are available as both matrix and reservoir patches. This review explores the various drugs used to manage pain and their route of administration in terms of frequency, complications and effects