Fast Dissolving Oral Films

Abstract

Ease of administration and patient compliance makes the oral route as the most popular route of administration, but difficulty in swallowing or dysphagia may limit the use of oral route in special populations like paediatrics, geriatrics, psychotics, cancer patients, etc. Unavailability of water and episodic attack of allergy also contributes to difficulties in swallowing tablets and capsules. Here the novel fast dissolving oral film (FDOF) technology gives new hope to overcome these problems. Oral films made from active ingredient and hydrophilic polymers are capable of rapidly dissolution/disintegration in the buccal cavity. A part of the drug is absorbed from buccal route providing the advantages of quicker onset, bypassing first pass effect and reducing gastric degradation or metabolism. These qualities have made oral film a very popular and convenient dosage form for paediatric, geriatric as well as adult populations. This chapter describes formulation aspects, preparation technologies and some important patents of FDOFs.