Purpose: Sublingual drug delivery can be an alternative and better route when compared to oral drug delivery as sublingually administered dosage forms bypass hepatic metabolism. A rapid onset of pharmacological effect is often desired for some drugs, especially those used in the treatment of acute disorders. Sublingual tablets disintegrate rapidly and the small amount of saliva present is usually sufficient for achieving disintegration of the dosage form coupled with better dissolution and increased bioavailability.
Approach: Published articles from PubMed and other standard sources were utilized to review and compile an overview of sublingual tablets and the benefits of the sublingual route of administration.
Findings: Sublingual tablets were found to have better characteristics when compared to conventional dosage forms. Sublingually administered tablets achieved better bioavailability, rapid onset of action and better dissolution properties due to fast disintegration. The addition of super-disintegrants facilitated rapid disintegration and this approach can be used to treat acute disorders or emergency conditions.
Conclusion: Sublingual tablets or any sublingual dosage form can be used to achieve a rapid onset of action, better patient compliance and increased bioavailability. The sublingual route of administration can be used for drugs which undergo extensive first pass metabolism or degradation in the GIT. Drugs administered sublingually tend to have better bioavailability which correlates to dose reduction when compared to conventional oral tablets.
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