Innovations in pharmaceutical formulation and delivery system

Drug formulation is an evolving discipline that has made significant advancements that will contribute to advancing medicine's future. Drug formulation innovations have taken on many facets including improved drug delivery systems, increased bioavailability, enhanced therapeutic outcomes either through optimized formulations or enhanced patient compliance, and ultimately cost savings in health care through decreases in adverse reactions or improved therapeutic results with less drug consumption. This paper highlights some of the most interesting, including advances in nanotechnology and nanomedicine, new controls in controlled delivery systems, advances in personalized medicine, biologics, and three-dimensional (3D) printing. Nanoparticles and nanocarriers allow for targeted drug delivery through site specific and local interventions, while controlled delivery systems permit sustained drug release and regulate concentration thereby allowing for increased compliance and adherence to drug protocols. Personalized medicine via pharmacogenomics and pharmacodynamics or pharmacokinetics uses information about a patient's unique genes and drug action to tailor performances of drugs to an individual based on these characteristics. Additionally, 3D Printing can create and manufacture both complex drug structures and individualized dosage forms. Each of these advancements begins to provide personalized, targeted, and patient-centered medicine that has the potential to change healthcare delivery outcomes.