Editing Transdermal patch (section)

{{short description|Adhesive patch used to deliver medication through the skin}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2023}}
{{distinguish|Dermal patch}}
[[Image:Nicoderm.JPG|thumb|right|A 21mg dose [[nicotine patch]] applied to the left arm]]
[[Image:Contraceptivepatch.jpg|thumb|Contraceptive patch]]
[[Image:Clonidine pills and patch.jpg|thumb|[[Clonidine]] tablets and transdermal patch]]
[[File:Applying transdermal patch.jpg|thumb|A transdermal patch which delivers medication is applied to the skin in a medical setting. The patch is labelled with the time and date of administration as well as the administrator's initials.]]
[[File:Microneedle array comparison with Hypodermic needle.jpg|thumb|Microneedle patch size comparison<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=McConville|first1=Aaron|last2=Hegarty|first2=Catherine|last3=Davis|first3=James|date=2018-06-08|title=Mini-Review: Assessing the Potential Impact of Microneedle Technologies on Home Healthcare Applications|journal=Medicines|volume=5|issue=2|page=50|doi=10.3390/medicines5020050|pmid=29890643 |pmc=6023334 |issn=2305-6320|doi-access=free }}</ref>]]

A '''transdermal patch''' is a [[medicated]] [[adhesive]] patch that is placed on the [[skin]] to deliver a specific [[Dose (biochemistry)|dose]] of medication through the skin and into the [[bloodstream]]. An advantage of a transdermal drug delivery route over other types of medication delivery (such as oral, topical, intravenous, or intramuscular) is that the patch provides a controlled release of the medication into the patient, usually through either a porous membrane covering a reservoir of medication or through body heat melting thin layers of medication embedded in the adhesive. The main disadvantage to transdermal delivery systems stems from the fact that the skin is a very effective barrier; as a result, only medications whose molecules are small enough to penetrate the skin can be delivered by this method. The first commercially available prescription patch was approved by the U.S. [[Food and Drug Administration]] in December 1979. These patches administered [[scopolamine]] for [[motion sickness]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=VEERABADRAN|first1=NALINKANTH G.|last2=PRICE|first2=RONALD R.|last3=LVOV|first3=YURI M.|title=Clay Nanotubes for Encapsulation and Sustained Release of Drugs |date=April 2007|journal=Nano|volume=02|issue=2|pages=115–120|doi=10.1142/s1793292007000441|issn=1793-2920}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|date=2015|title=FDA approves rolapitant to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea|journal=The Pharmaceutical Journal|doi=10.1211/pj.2015.20069288|issn=2053-6186}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/consumer/CON00112.html | title = Patches, Pumps and Timed Release: New Ways to Deliver Drugs | last = Segal | first = Marian | publisher = [[Food and Drug Administration]] |access-date = 2007-02-24 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070210094825/https://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/consumer/CON00112.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-02-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS00834.html | title = FDA approves scopolamine patch to prevent peri-operative nausea | publisher = [[Food and Drug Administration]] | date = 1997-11-10 |access-date = 2007-02-12 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061219210229/https://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS00834.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2006-12-19}}</ref>

In order to overcome restriction from the skin, researchers have developed [[microneedle drug delivery|microneedle transdermal patches]] (MNPs), which consist of an array of [[microneedles]], which allows a more versatile range of compounds or molecules to be passed through the skin without having to [[Micronization|micronize]] the medication beforehand. MNPs offer the advantage of controlled release of medication and simple application without medical professional assistance required.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=Lee|first1=Jeong Woo|last2=Prausnitz|first2=Mark R.|date=2018-05-07|title=Drug delivery using microneedle patches: not just for skin|journal=Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery|volume=15|issue=6|pages=541–543|doi=10.1080/17425247.2018.1471059|pmid=29708770 |s2cid=14038378 |issn=1742-5247|doi-access=free}}</ref> With advanced MNPs technology, drug delivery can be specified for local usage, for example skin whitener<ref name="dx.doi.org">{{Cite journal|last1=Li|first1=Junwei|last2=Zeng|first2=Mingtao|last3=Shan|first3=Hu|last4=Tong|first4=Chunyi|date=2017-08-23|title=Microneedle Patches as Drug and Vaccine Delivery Platform|journal=Current Medicinal Chemistry|volume=24|issue=22|pages=2413–2422 |doi=10.2174/0929867324666170526124053|pmid=28552053 |issn=0929-8673}}</ref> MNPs that are applied to the face. Many types of MNPs have been developed to penetrate tissues other than skin, such as internal tissues of the mouth and digestive tract. These promote faster and more direct delivery of the molecule to the targeted area.