A Review Paper on Pharmaceutical Applications of 3D Printing Technology

Abstract

In a layer-bylayer process, three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology enables the manufacture of 3D objects with different geometrics. The customization of medicines with individually tailored doses, the ability to produce sophisticated and complex solid dosage types, on-demand production, and cost-effectiveness are some of the advantages of 3DP methods over traditional manufacturing processes. In addition, interest in the application of 3DP technology to the pharmaceutical manufacture of drug products and the production of different drug delivery systems has been growing in recent years. However, while 3DP technology has many potential medical and economic benefits, the broad applications of 3DP technology to pharmaceutical products are still limited by certain technological and regulatory challenges. In order to overcome the current limitations and promote patient-specific health care with on-demand personalized drugs in the future, continuous innovation and refinement in 3DP techniques are therefore required. This analysis presents some of the 3DP techniques appropriate for pharmaceutical production, as well as their applications for the development of drug dosage forms, suggesting the viability of this technology in standard commercial manufacturing.