Design, development and characterization of ketorolac tromethamine-loaded transdermal patches

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate ketorolac tromethamine-loaded transdermal patch, designed for sustained drug release and enhanced patient compliance in pain management. Pain management is a critical component of healthcare, especially in conditions requiring long-term treatment. NSAID, such as ketorolac tromethamine, is commonly prescribed for the relief of moderate to severe pain due to their potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the conventional forms of ketorolac can be associated with limitations and the need for frequent dosing. Different combinations of polymers (HPMC K100 and PVP K30) and plasticizer (PEG 400) were used to prepare the transdermal patches by solvent casting method. The drug was dissolved in polymeric solution. The solution was poured into mould and allowed to dry to form a patch. After preparation of Transdermal patch evaluation tests were performed. The transdermal patches exhibited good physical characteristics with uniform thickness and weight variation. The folding endurance test indicated high mechanical strength, with patches enduring multiple folds without breaking. The moisture content was within acceptable limits, ensuring patch stability. The drug content was shown higher value with minimum batch variability. The drug release study showed that patches containing lower concentrations of HPMC K100 and higher concentration PVP K30 had the highest drug release rates, with up to 90% of the drug released over 8 hours. The ketorolac tromethamine-loaded transdermal patches developed in this study demonstrated promising characteristics for sustained drug delivery. Formulations F3 batch provided optimal drug release profiles. These patches could potentially improve patient compliance in pain management by providing a non-invasive, sustained-release drug delivery system.