The healthcare industry is steadily moving towards personalized medicines that are tailor-made for the patient according to their requirements. Various attributes like age, genetic makeup, lifestyle, advancement of the disease, and medication tolerance levels play a major role in determining the effectiveness of any medicine on any patient. Traditional drug production technologies cannot cope with personalization due to high manufacturing volumes and a lack of adaptability.
This scenario has paved the way for research and development efforts for the manufacturing of medicines through the innovative technique of 3D printing. In this regard, medicines can be produced layer after layer using exact control over formulation, dosage, release, and structure of the tablet.
Enabling Patient-Specific Therapies
One of the most significant advantages offered by 3D printed drugs is that they enable the development of truly personalized medicine. Rather than being limited to fixed dose tablets, which are manufactured for general public consumption, healthcare professionals will be able to determine customized dose strength in accordance with the medical condition, age, weight, metabolism, patient’s response history, and other factors.
This type of personalization proves highly valuable in therapeutic settings such as pediatrics, oncology, cardiology, and geriatrics, since each of these conditions requires precise dosing. For instance, children usually require low strengths, whereas patients aged 65 years and above may benefit from dose strength adjustments in light of their organ functioning and multiple medications.
Supporting Dynamic Dose Adjustments
A wide range of diseases requires medications to be adjusted regularly throughout the life of patients, instead of prescribing medications for an extended period at once. Diabetic, hypertensive, epileptic, thyroid, or mental health patients may require dosage modification based on the severity of the disease, lab reports, or the doctor's assessment. Conventional manufacturing processes cannot efficiently cater to small-batch dosage customization at affordable costs.
The 3D printing technology allows for quick changes to dosage amounts without having to redesign the whole process of manufacturing. The digital formula is readily alterable to incorporate the new specification. With this, the medical field will be able to adapt to the needs of the patient more quickly and ensure the better treatment and management of diseases.
Simplifying Complex Treatment Regimens
One of the biggest hurdles to overcome in the process of prolonged therapy is medication complexity, especially in those people who have multiple medical problems. The use of several medications a day poses challenges when it comes to taking different dosages, understanding complex instructions, and having a high number of pills per day.