Polymeric Nanocarriers for Transdermal Drug Delivery: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

ABSTRACT Transdermal drug delivery presents an innovative alternative to conventional methods of drug administration by avoiding the gastrointestinal system and enhancing patient adherence. This study systematically reviews and conducts a meta‐analysis of the efficacy, safety, and potential clinical applications of polymeric nanocarriers in transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS). A literature review was conducted to collect data from the PubMed database covering the period from 2013 to 2023. Tools like VOSviewer, Bibliometrix, Jamovi, and RStudio revealed a steady growth in TDDS research and global publications, highlighting increasing contributions from diverse authors worldwide. A total of 8799 articles were analyzed using RStudio for quantitative synthesis, identifying 42 382 authors and 22 999 keywords. Among these, 176 were single‐authored, with an average of 7.21 co‐authors per document. The international co‐authorship rate was 17.44%. The meta‐analysis of ten studies showed a pooled prevalence of 10.97% (95% CI: 5.38%–16.55%; Z = 3.85; p < 0.001), indicating a moderately significant therapeutic effect of polymeric nanocarriers in TDDS. Moderate heterogeneity was observed ( I 2 = 52.37%, p = 0.034), suggesting real differences across studies. The funnel plot showed most data points within the non‐shaded region, indicating minimal publication bias. Key journals include Pharmaceutics , PLOS ONE , Scientific Reports , and International Journal of Molecular Sciences . The United States, China, Japan, Italy, and South Korea led research output, with institutions like Harvard Medical School and Zhejiang University playing central roles. This bibliometric and quantitative synthesis provides a comprehensive overview of research trends, collaborative networks, and the promising future of polymeric nanocarrier‐based TDDS.