What All Should You Know About Fatty Bases for Suppositories?

Long gone are the days when people used to depend on Ayurveda, herbal remedies like willow bark, and ancient medical techniques to treat patients. The continuous technological developments and intensive research had made the modern-day healthcare sector to now rely on smartly designed devices that offer better and effective ways of treatment.

One such medical development is suppositories that are semi-solid dosage forms used to deliver drugs to the body through insertion into hollow areas like vagina, rectum, urethra, etc. These types of drug delivery techniques are highly advantageous as compared to other antiviral dosage forms. Moreover, market analysts predict that the global fatty bases for suppositories market will gather a revenue of $339.5 million and grow at 5.59% CAGR during the 2022-2031 forecast period. It is because they are not only advantageous than other medication types but suppositories are also easy to use.

When are Suppositories Used?

Here is a list of some cases when suppositories are used to drug delivery:

• Patients with constipation, piles, and hemorrhoids
• Patients who can’t swallow medicine
• People who vomit immediately after taking a medicine and find difficulty in keeping a liquid or pill down
• The drug taken breaks down in the digestive tract too quickly
• The medicine tastes extremely bad to take by mouth

Types of Bases for Suppositories and the High Preference for Cocoa Butter as a Base

Suppository bases can be classified into three categories- oleaginous bases or oily bases, emulsifying or synthetic bases, and hydrophilic bases or water-soluble bases. Some of the most common suppository bases are cocoa butter and its substitutes (vegetable oils), hydrogenated vegetable oils, glycerinated gelatin, fatty acid esters of polyethylene glycol, etc.

However, cocoa butter is considered as the highly preferred base for suppositories since it can easily melt at body temperature and can release medicaments easily. Moreover, cocoa butter base is usually easy on the mucous membrane and non-toxic and so, it’s safe for adults and old people.

What are the Advantages of Suppositories?

Here’s a list of some advantages of suppositories:

• The method does not cause any pain in your vaginal, urethral, or rectal passage
• It’s an effective drug delivery technique that directly works on the targeted site
• Doesn’t cause vomiting or nausea to patients
• Melts at body temperature and dissolves quickly
• Suppositories are mostly itch-free
• Can treat vaginal and urinal infection faster and effectively

Are There Any Disadvantages of Suppositories?

Though the suppositories method is a lot easier and advantageous, it has some downfalls too. Let’s have a look at them.

• Some patients might experience irritation from suppositories
• Patients might get uncomfortable for this method, which is normal
• The manufacturing process for suppositories is more complex as compared to liquids and drugs
• If patient’s mucous membrane gets irritated, suppositories are no longer a reliable method for administrating medication

Fatty Bases for Suppositories: A Modern-era Medical Technique

Fatty bases for suppositories are a new and effective formulation for antiviral drug delivery that is primarily used to directly address the targeted site in patients who can’t swallow medicines and liquids. Although most people get uncomfortable in this treatment, suppositories offer many advantages like adaptable formulation form, easy administration, and low cost.  

About the Author(s)

Princy A. J

Princy holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. University at Chennai, India. After a successful academic record, she pursued her passion for writing. A thorough professional and enthusiastic writer, she enjoys writing on various categories and advancements in the global industries. She plays an instrumental role in writing about current updates, news, blogs, and trends.