Pharmaceutical Applications of Polymers for Drug Delivery (Rapra Review Reports)

Polymers are becoming increasingly important in the field of drug delivery. The pharmaceutical applications of polymers range from their use as binders in tablets to viscosity and flow controlling agents in liquids, suspensions and emulsions. Polymers can be used as film coatings to disguise the unpleasant taste of a drug, to enhance drug stability and to modify drug release characteristics. The review focuses on the use of pharmaceutical polymer for controlled drug delivery applications. Examples of pharmaceutical polymers and the principles of controlled drug delivery are outlined and applications of polymers for controlled drug delivery are described. The field of controlled drug delivery is vast therefore this review aims to provide an overview of the applications of pharmaceutical polymers. The reader will be directed where necessary to appropriate textbooks and specialised reviews. Although polymers are used extensively as pharmaceutical packaging, this review is concerned with the use of polymers in the formulation of dosage forms. This review will be of interest to anyone who has an interest in the pharmaceutical use of polymers, whether as a researcher or as a manufacturer of medical devices. The review is accompanied by approximately 250 abstracts taken from papers and books in the Rapra Polymer Library database, to facilitate further reading on this subject. A subject and a company index are also included.