3D Printed Medications Customize Dosing

Texas A&M pharmacologists have perfected a method for 3D printing medications with precise dosages in child-friendly shapes and flavors. This technology permits the fabrication of pills that deliver just the proper amount of a drug that works most effectively and safely within a narrow dosing range. Currently, to deliver such doses, adult-sized pills must be crushed and dissolved in liquids in a process called compounding that may cause a deterioration in drug potency. Though 3D pill printing isn’t new, the Texas team has developed a process that eliminates the use of solvents that often shorten shelf life. First creating a drug powder, they mix in a biocompatible polymer, a coloring, and a flavoring before the mix is introduced into the heated print chamber. The tablets are finished with a laser, and studies are now underway to modify this final finishing to create timed release of the contained medication.

https://engineering.tamu.edu/news/2023/08/forging-a-path-in-tailored-medications-through-3d-printing.html

#3dprinting #pediatrics #bioengineering #dosing #texasam