Transdermal drug delivery offers many advantages over the conventional dosage forms. Transdermal drug delivery system allows delivery of contained drug into the systemic circulation via permeation through skin layers at a controlled rate. These systems are easy to apply and remove as and when desired.1) This approach of drug delivery is more pertinent in case of chronic disorders, such as hypertension, which requires long-term dosing to maintain therapeutic drug concentration. Nitrendipine (NTP), a 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative calcium channel blocker, a potent peripheral vasodilator, which effectively reduces blood pressure is a suitable candidate for the development of a transdermal dosage form. There is a clinical rationale for NTP to be available in transdermal patch to overcome its extensive first pass effect, low bioavailabilty 2,3) and for better patient compliance. NTP is a lipophilic drug with low molecular weight and low daily maintenance dose (10-20 mg). 4) NTP, which was reported to penetrate only sub-therapeutically through the human skin in vitro, would require penetration enhancement. 5) One popular approach is the co-admistration of chemical enhancers which act by increasing the solubility of the drug in stratum corneum (SC) or by disrupting the lipid matrix of SC or by interacting with the intracellular protein. The importance of the transdermal penetration enhancers, due to their ability to change the structure of lipophilic and/or keratinized domains in stratum corneum is well documented. Essential oils are widely used as penetration enhancers.6,7) Oleic acid, Surfactants, and Fatty acid have also shown good penetration enhancing effects. 8,9) In this study different novel essential oils, such as basil oil, petit grain oil, thyme oil etc. have been used. Some established enhancers such as unsaturated and saturated fatty acids, surfactants, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were also used and enhancement index was compared to find the most effective enhancer for the development of nitrendipine transdermal formulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS MaterialsNitrendipine was supplied by Concept Pharmaceutical, Aurangabad, India. Petit grain oil, Palmarosa oil, Thyme oil and Basil oil were purchased from Blossom Kochhar, Baddi, India. Isopropyl myristate, Capric acid, Lauric acid, Myristic acid were purchased from E. Merck, India. Oleic acid, Tween 20, Tween 80, Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), Span 80 were purchased from Central Drug House, Mumbai, India. All other solvents and chemicals used were of analytical reagent grade.Solubility Study Solubility studies in each case were carried out by adding an excess amount of drug in 40 : 60 isopropyl alcohol to phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) and 60 : 40 isopropyl alcohol to phosphate buffer pH 7.4 and keeping the flasks containing the solutions on a mechanical shaker for 24 h at 25°C. After 24 h, the solutions were transferred into test tubes and centrifuged at 2000 rpm for 30 min at room temperature. The test tubes were placed aside to settle for 30 min. One mililitter of s...

Drug information centre refer to facility specially set aside for, and specializing in the provision of drug information and related issues. The purpose of drug information center is to provide authentic individualized, accurate, relevant and unbiased drug information to the consumers and healthcare professionals regarding medication related inquiries to the nation for health care and drug safety aspects by answering their call regarding the all critical problems on drug information, their uses and their side effects. Apart from that the center also provides in-depth, impartial source of crucial drug information to meet the needs of the practicing physicians, pharmacists and other health care professionals to safeguard the health, financial and legal interests of the patient and to broaden the pharmacist role visible in the society and community. The service should include collecting, reviewing, evaluating, indexing and distributing information on drugs to health workers. Drug and poisons information centers are best established within major teaching hospitals. This allows access to clinical experience, libraries, research facilities and educational activities. Information present in the current paper will not only enlighten the role of drug information center but also focused on the rational use of drug.

Novel techniques for drug delivery have been investigated in human medicine in recent years. The transdermal route of drug delivery has attracted researchers due to many biomedical advantages associated with it. However, excellent impervious nature of skin is the greatest challenge that has to be overcome for successfully delivering drug molecules to the systemic circulation by this route. One long-standing approach for improving transdermal drug delivery uses penetration enhancers (also called sorption promoters or accelerants) that can reversibly compromise the skin's barrier function and consequently allow the entry of otherwise poorly penetrating molecules into the membrane and through to the systemic circulation. A large number of fatty acids have been used as permeation enhancers. They have proven to be effective and safe sorption promoters. This present review includes the classification, feasibility and application of fatty acids as sorption promoters for improved delivery of drug through skin.

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