Physiological Pharmaceutics: Barriers to Drug Absorption [Hardcover]

In recent years, the emphasis in drug development has been the design of new delivery systems rather than new drugs. It is the aim of innovative pharmaceutical scientists to design the new dosage forms to overcome the body's barrier mechanisms which have specifically evolved to exclude foreign material.

This book provides an integrated approach to the study of drug formulation in the body with the emphasis on the formulation variables rather than the drugs. The link between physiology and pharmaceutics is presented to give an essential background of biological principles for the pharmacy student, pharmaceutical formulator and healthcare professional. Complex mathematical aspects of physical chemistry have been avoided to facilitate understanding, enabling the reader to concentrate on how the biological environment affects the performance of the drugs and dosage forms. As the majority of drugs are administered via the oral route a large proportion of the book is devoted to the gastrointestinal tract and the variation in the capacity for drug absorption which occurs along its length. Transdermal, ocular, pulmonary and nasal drug delivery are discussed in detail. New chapters in the book include 'Vaginal drug delivery', the 'Blood brain barrier' and 'Parenteral drug delivery'.1. Cell Membranes, Epithelial Barriers and Drug Absorption 2. Parenteral Drug Delivery 3. Drug Delivery to the Oral Cavity or Mouth 4. Oesophageal Transit 5. The Stomach 6. Drug Absorption from the Small Intestine 7. Drug Delivery to the Large Intestine and Rectum 8. Transdermal Drug Delivery 9. Nasal Drug Delivery 10. Pulmonary Drug Delivery 11. Ocular Drug Delivery 12. Vaginal and Intrauterine Drug Delivery.Physiological Pharmaceutics 2nd Edition has been written to meet the need for a high quality up to date and accessible pharmacology textbook. The book has a breadth of subject coverage designed to bridge the gap between classical pharmacy and the biological sciences giving lÃ.