Oral thin film: a review on orodispersible thin films for effective drug delivery of antiemetic drugs

Abstract

The oral route is the most preferable route for drug administration because it is the simplest, most convenient and safest means of drug administration that is pain free and can be self-administered by the patients. Most of the medicines available in the market are oral solid dose. Most of the drugs delivered through oral route have comparatively slow onset of action, cannot avoid the fast pass effect, low bioavailability and shorter therapeutic window. There are many people like children, elderly people, dysphagia and cancer patients who have difficulties in swallowing. On the other hand, approximately 28% of people have swallowing problems and they are prone to choking during taking the oral solid dose. That’s why oral thin film or orodispersible thin film (OTF) is being introduced as a novel drug delivery system. The antiemetic OTFs are more patient-friendly as there is no need of water to swallow it and it dissolves in the oral cavity within seconds. Being absorbed by oral mucosa, OTFs can avoid the fast pass effect and give quick onset of action.