A Review on Buccal Films: A Novel Drug Delivery System

The oral cavity is an attractive site for the administration of drugs because of ease of administration. Various dosage forms like Tablets, Capsules and Liquid preparations are administered by oral route. Oral administration is the most widely used route due to its ease of ingestion, lack of pain, versatility in accommodating most of the drug type that are administered orally shows high patient compliance. Additionally, oral solid delivery systems do not require sterile conditions, making them less costly to produce. In recent years delivery of therapeutic agents through buccal mucosa has gained significant attention. There is a possibility for mucosal (local effect) and trans mucosal (systemic effect) drug administration. In first case the mucosal administration of drugs is to achieve site-specific release of drugs on the mucosa whereas in second case, trans mucosal administration involves drug administration through mucosal barrier to reach the systemic circulation.1 This delivery route extends numerous advantages over the other delivery routes due to its rich blood supply, rapid onset of action, avoidance of the first pass metabolism as well as enzymatic degradation which results in enhanced bioavailability, increased patient compliance, and easy of self-medication.2 Buccal Films are a solid single-unit dosage form which are made of a water dissolving polymer allows the dosage form to rapidly hydrate, adhere and dissolve when placed on the buccal region in the oral cavity to provide local or systemic drug delivery. The large surface area available in the film dosage form allows rapid wetting by saliva, dissolution and absorption of drug directly enter into the systemic circulation without undergoing first-pass hepatic metabolism with increased bioavailability.3