Topical medication
Medication applied to a specific place on or in the body.
A topical medication is a medication that is applied to a particular place on or in the body. Most often, topical medications are applied to the skin or mucous membranes, via creams, foams, gels, lotions, or ointments. Many topical medications are epicutaneous, meaning that they are applied directly to the skin. Topical medications may also be inhalational, such as asthma medications, or applied to the surface of tissues other than the skin, such as eye drops applied to the conjunctiva, or ear drops placed in the ear, or medications applied to the surface of a tooth. The word topical derives from Greek τοπικός topikos, 'of a place'.
- field
- Pharmaceutical drug delivery
- known_for
- Route of administering drugs via the skin to provide topical therapeutic effects
- common_forms
- Creams, ointments, lotions, gels, foams, patches, dusting powders
- derivation
- Greek τοπικός topikos, 'of a place'
Lore & Background
Topical drug delivery is a route of administering drugs via the skin to provide topical therapeutic effects. As skin is one of the largest and most superficial organs in the human body, pharmacists utilise it to deliver various drugs. This system usually provides a local effect on certain positions of the body. In ancient times, people used herbs to put on wounds for relieving the inflammatory effect or as pain relievers. The use of topical drug delivery system is much broader now, from smoking cessation to beauty purposes. Nowadays, there are numerous dosage forms that can be used topically, including cream, ointment, lotion, patches, dusting powder and much more.
Reader's Guide
Topical medications are significant because they offer a localized route of drug administration that avoids first pass metabolism, increasing bioavailability, and are convenient and easy to apply. They can be terminated easily and avoid gastrointestinal irritations, improving patient compliance. However, they can cause skin irritations such as rashes and itchiness, and only small particles can pass through the skin, limiting drug choices. The condition of the skin—temperature, pH, and dryness—affects absorption. The definition of topical route sometimes states that both the application location and the pharmacodynamic effect are local; in other cases, it includes transdermal application for systemic distribution. The base formulation (cream vs. ointment) can change a medication's potency, and manufacturers have total control over the base, leading to possible variation between brands. In dermatology, the base is often as important as the medication itself.
Did You Know?
- The word topical derives from Greek τοπικός topikos, meaning 'of a place'.
- Topical medications can be inhalational, such as asthma medications, or applied to the conjunctiva as eye drops.
- The metabolism of topical drugs is mainly by cytochrome P450, which is not active in skin, allowing high concentrations of CYP450-metabolized drugs.
- Some topical steroids are classified one or two strengths higher when moving from cream to ointment.
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