Approaches, formulations, manufacturing procedures, storage systems, and technologies used to convey a pharmaceutical ingredient to its target site in order to accomplish a desired therapeutic effect are referred to as drug delivery.
Drug delivery is a notion that is closely linked to dosage type and method of administration, with the latter being included in some definitions. While the terms route of administration and drug delivery are frequently used interchangeably, they are two distinct ideas. Medication delivery involves the engineering of delivery systems and can include multiple dose forms and devices used to deliver a drug through the same route, whereas route of administration refers to the path a drug takes to enter the body. Oral, parenteral (injected), sublingual, topical, transdermal, inhaled, rectal, and vaginal are common methods of administration; however, drug delivery is not restricted to these routes, and there may be multiple ways to give drugs through each route.