Nicotine Patch

Definition

A nicotine patch is a device designed to deliver nicotine through the skin and into the blood stream.

Nicotine

Nicotine or C ₁₀H ₁₄N ₂ or 3-(1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl) is an organic bicyclic compound with a pyridine cycle and a pyrrolidine cycle.

Nicotine is a natural product of tobacco, occurring in the leaves in a range of 0.5 to 7.5% depending on variety. Nicotine also naturally occurs in smaller amounts in plants from the family Solanaceae (such as potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant). Nicotine is one of the few liquid alkaloids. In its pure state it is a colourless, odourless liquid with an oily consistency, but when exposed to light or air, it acquires a brown colour and gives off a strong odour of tobacco.

Making formula

Nicotine is well suited for transepidermal delivery because it is a liquid which is known to penetrate skin easily. Depending on the type of patch, the amount of nicotine compound employed varies between 5% and 50%. The drug may be used in its pure form, or it may be linked with other chemicals entities such as hydrochloride, dihydrochloride, sulfate, tartrate, bitartarate, zinc chloride, and salicylate to form derivatives.The patch itself is a small disk approximately 1 in (2.5 cm) or less in diameter, which may be assembled in several different configurations.All patch configurations feature an occlusive backing layer that is impermeable to the drug. This is typically a plastic sheet laminated with metallic foil to increase its barrier properties and prevent the drug from leaking

Uses

The chemical nicotine is an addictive component of cigarettes. The body develops a physical, as well as psychological, craving for nicotine. The patch helps satisfy this craving while the smoker is attempting to quit. 2 hours after smoking the amount of dopamine increased decreases, causing moodyness, intense feelings and even difficulty sleeping. Nicotine patch releases nicotine in blood to reduce these problems and help addicted people to stay away from smoking.

Side effects

Like all aid, nicotine patch has some dark side. Using patch can cause skin irritation, itching, dizziness, headache, rapid heartbeat and nausea.

The future

The science of delivering nicotine and other drugs transepidermally is still evolving. Current technology can only deliver doses up to 16 hours in length, which stands to be improved. There are also opportunities for improvements to make membrane materials and adhesives that are more imperious to the solvent effects of nicotine. Furthermore, improved delivery systems that offer more advantages to the consumer should be developed. In fact, the Cygnus Corporation is developing a patch with adjustable doses, so the amount of nicotine can be varied depending upon the user’s requirements. It is anticipated that recent approval to market these drugs without a prescription will result in increased market activity and improvements in many of the these areas.