3D printing for controlled release Pharmaceuticals: Current trends and future directions

In recent years, 3D printers have grown strongly in drug delivery and personalised medicine, being used more and more widely. In medicine, 3DP technology can advance personalised medicine and design dosage forms to regulate the drug release rate. This review gives an overview of the 3D printing for controlled-release pharmaceuticals, detailing the technical principles, common types (including extrusion, powder, liquid, and sheet lamination-based systems), drug release control mechanisms (e.g., dissolution and diffusion, osmosis, and swelling, partitioning and erosion, and targeting), and the advantages, status, and challenges. It discusses the future direction of the technology, including multidisciplinary cross-fertilisation and the advancement of personalised medicine. The technology has potential but faces many challenges such as cost, production capacity, materials, regulations, and quality control.