Medicated Chewing Gums: A Revolution in Self-Medication And Drug Delivery

Medicated chewing gums (MCGs) are characterized as ‘solid single-dose preparations with a base consistingmainly of gum that is intended to be chewed but not to be swallowed, providing a slow steady release of themedicine contained’. The European Pharmacopoeias (Ph. Eur) along with the U.S. Pharmacopoeias (USP)formally acknowledged medicated chewing gums as an acceptable method for medication administration.MCGs have become a new and exciting method in the realm of oral drug delivery. The potential benefits ofchewing gums over conventional drug delivery method are examined in this review paper. Notable benefitsinclude the circumvention of hepatic first-pass effect, patient compliance, local and systemic action, andvarious other advantages that make them an exciting alternative in pharmaceutical research. Thiscomprehensive review paper covers all essential aspects related to medicated chewing gums, including theircomposition, advantages, disadvantages, methods of preparation, and future trends. It also underscores thepotential of medicated chewing gums as a useful substitute to buccal medication delivery and emphasizestheneed for further exploration and research in this field.