A survey on the potential awareness for the delivery of insulin using transdermal microneedle array

Abstract

Conventional ways of delivering anti-diabetic drugs such as insulin via injection and other means might have limitations that can affect patient compliance although having good efficacy such as pain, needle phobia, skin irritation and skin hardness etc. Use of microneedle skin patch to convey the drug via transdermal delivery system can be an innovative and successful approach to deal with the drawbacks of traditional methods. For this purpose, this study has been conducted on “A survey on the potential awareness for the delivery of insulin using transdermal microneedle array” involving a sample size of 385 diabetic patients. The survey included a questionnaire of 25 questions regarding the problems faced by patients on using injections, the introduction of microneedles and their advantages along with the most vital question of acceptance of microneedle patches in future. Data analysis was carried out using Microsoft Excel. It was found that 56% of the sample population used insulin on a regular basis and 53% was needle phobic. Insulin injection was considered inconvenient by 63% of the total sample. Lastly, 93% of the patients surveyed agreed upon acceptance of the patch for controlling blood sugar level and shared their views and apprehensions concerning this new technology. Several concerns relating to this patch were established. Finally, study findings suggested to further research on the topic and design to develop microneedle patches for the delivery of insulin.