The route of administration is critical for any medicine. For decades, the most common dosage forms were either oral or injection. Patients generally preferred oral therapies over injected medications because oral delivery is non-invasive and convenient. Drug delivery by buccal route presents unique advantages that are not available with other modes of administration. Buccal drug delivery is a promising option where common drug administrations (e.g., intravenous, intramuscular) are inapplicable. Recently, it has been shown that many drugs have better bioavailability by buccal route than by oral route. This has been attributed to rich vasculature and a highly permeable structure of the buccal mucosa coupled with avoidance of hepatic first-pass elimination, gut wall metabolism and/or destruction in the gastrointestinal tract. The physiology of the buccal mucosa offers a promising route for non-invasive systemic delivery of biotherapeutics. The present article highlights the advantages, physicochemical factors and formulation related parameters affecting the buccal drug delivery. It also includes a note on polymer used in buccal drug delivery and buccal drug absorption pathways.
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