Dysphagia and administration of solid oral drugs
The oral administration, in addition to including the majority of drugs (about 65-70%), is certainly the most convenient, economical and natural, since it reflects the physiological path undergone by food and liquids.
For the administration of oral therapy to dysphagia patients it is often necessary to crush the tablets or open the capsules to use the contents, mixing everything with the thickened dishes.
Risks and criticalities
- Human error in the handling of the original solid drug
- Loss of active ingredient
- Contamination
- High number of hours / work by those in charge of preparing solid oral drugs for dysphagia patients (pharmacist, cargiver)
Solution
Innovative gel formulation suitable and stable to guarantee and ensure the possibility of continuing oral solid drug therapy even if the patient has developed an inability to swallow.
The Patent
The invention object of the Patent concerns the formulation of a gel for oral administration containing water-soluble drugs as active compounds and a gelling agent to replace commercial tablets and to allow the adherence of the drug in dysphagia patients
Innovativeness
This formulation is innovative and capable of ensuring a drug release comparable to that of the original solid dosage forms, obtained simply by dispersing the tablet and / or capsule in the medium used to disperse the thickening polymer.
Use of existing drugs
An advantage of this formulation is represented by the preparative method that allows to disperse the pharmaceutical forms available on the market such as tablets, coated and uncoated, or the contents of capsules or immediate-release sachets, directly into the solvent that will then be used for the preparation of the polymeric dispersion, avoiding any handling operation by the operator and eliminating the dangers related to loss of active ingredient, contamination and dosing errors.
Maintaining the original efficacy
In this way, the active ingredient, which was originally available only in solid or liquid form unsuitable for administration in dysphagic patients, is found in a dosage form of consistency suitable for swallowing even in the dysphagic patient without its release kinetics being altered, remaining as effective as in its original form.
Next Step
Automated system for the transformation of SODFs into gel form
