Abstract

Recently, fast-dissolving drug delivery systems have started gaining popularity and acceptance as new drug delivery systems, because they are easy to administer and lead to better patient compliance. Usually, elderly people experience difficulty in swallowing the conventional dosage forms (tablets, capsules, solutions and suspensions) because of tremors of extremities and dysphagia. Fast dissolving drug delivery systems may offer a solution for these problems. Fast dissolving drug delivery can be achieved by various techniques like direct compression, wet granulation, compression moulding, volatilization and freeze-drying. They involve different mechanisms like use of high amounts of hydrophilic disintegrating agents of effervescent combinations, which allow the dosage forms to disintegrate quickly in the patient's mouth on contact with saliva. There are more than fifteen fast-dissolving products in the market worldwide.