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Inhalation therapy is a therapy that involves an active substance or a combination of these active substances. These active substances are administered as an aerosol through the airways. An inhaler or nebuliser is a device specifically designed to provide a defined amount of drugs for inhalation to the patient. The particle or droplet size determines the delivery of the drug to the respiratory tract; controlling the size of particles that are going to be administered leads to the more efficient delivery of drugs to the targeted area.
The sequential route of delivery of pharmaceutical aerosols includes:
Oropharynx
Larynx
Trachea
Bronchi
Bronchioles
Alveoli
How do pharmaceutical aerosols work?
Pharmaceutical aerosols release finely dispersed doses.
These doses can be solid, liquid or a mixture of both of them.
They contain active components.
Characteristics of pharmaceutical aerosols:
Pharmaceutical aerosols must be less explosive.
Pharmaceutical aerosols must be non-allergic.
They must possess the non-breakable property.
The delivery dose must be uniform and constant.
Pharmaceutical aerosols must be available at affordable prices.
They should be eco-friendly.
Components of pharmaceutical aerosols:
The major components of pharmaceutical aerosols include:
Propellant: Propellants play an essential role in all manufactured pharmaceutical aerosols. Various propellants formulate such dosage forms, i.e., solid and liquid.
Containers
Valves
Actuators
Product concentrate
Types of pharmaceutical aerosols
Metered-Dose Inhalers OR MDIs and Dry Powder Inhalers OR DPIs
MDIs provide a certain dose of a pharmaceutical medication aerosol, while DPIs are an alternative to aerosol-based inhalers.
MDIs can be either Salbutamol/Ventolin (blue) or Salmeterol/Serevent (green), while DPIs relax the muscles of the large airways.
MDIs deliver a powder dosage form to the lungs, but Most DPIs include active ingredients.
Similarities between MDIs and DPIs:
Many similarities have been seen between MDIs and DPIs. Some of them are listed below:
Both MDIs and DPIs deliver a specific quantity of drugs to the lungs through pulmonary tracks on an external surface of body parts.
They are used to treat lung diseases characterised by obstruction of airflow and shortness of breath, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory infections, and cystic fibrosis.
Differences between MDIs and DPIs are listed below:
MDIs | DPIs |
1.Metered Dose Inhaler. | Dry Powder Inhaler. |
2.They are used for curing asthma and used purposely for breath-actuated patients. | They are used for both breath-actuated patients and non-breath-actuated patients. |
3.MDI inhalers use a chemical propellant. | No uses of chemical propellants take place in DPIs inhalers. |
4.Spacers can use MDI. | DPI does not use spacers. |
5.MDI delivers slow and steady inhalation. | DPI delivers quick and deep inhalation. |
Production of pharmaceutical aerosol:
Method of pressure filling:
In the container, the product’s concentrates are placed and closed with the valves. The air inside the container can be removed through pressure, reducing the attachment to the gas cylinder. It is a two-step method that needs an open canister, valve, and fuel.
Importance of pharmaceutical aerosols:
Administration of pharmaceutical aerosols provides efficient and quick relief by targeting drugs at specific places.
You can directly apply to the affected areas, and their administration is a rapid process.
Advantages:
They can be applied easily and conveniently, and the mechanism of action is fast.
With medication, there is no manual or direct attachment.
They help avoid first-pass metabolism.
In these pharmaceutical aerosols, there is a restriction on microorganisms, which means no microorganism can be entered through the aerosols.
Pharmaceutical aerosols release the content in a controlled and uniform manner.
Disadvantages:
They are high in cost and are not affordable to a common company.
Sometimes they can be allergic. It can cause rashes on the body.
They have an explosive nature and can explode at a high temperature.
It is difficult to dispose of empty aerosol containers for reuse after recycling in a sterilisation environment.
Future References:
In the future, just about 70 years from now, various devices will be used to deliver inhaled drugs for the treatment of various respiratory diseases. Advancement in the development of pharmaceutical aerosols is helpful in the pharmaceutical world as they possess various novel characteristics.
Conclusion
In the recent few years, the technology of pharmaceutics, especially pharmaceutical aerosols, has rapidly developed. Inhalational therapeutics or pharmaceutical aerosols offer numerous advantages over other conventional pharmaceutical drugs. But on the contrary, they limit the health and ecological aspects, encouraging researchers to search for other enhanced alternative technologies.
