ABSTRACT
Ophthalmic preparations, including solutions, suspensions, and ointments, can be applied topically to the cornea or instilled in the space between the eyeball and lower eyelid. The disadvantages of various types of ophthalmic preparations can be overcome by controlled delivery systems that can release a drug at a constant rate for a relatively long time. This chapter discusses several ophthalmic applications and reviews very briefly the anatomy and physiology of the eye, one of the specific sensory systems of the human body. The cornea is very often the tissue through which the drugs in ophthalmic preparations reach the inside of the eye. The fluid systems in the eye also play an important role in ocular pharmacokinetics. Several kinds of polymers have been used in hard contact lenses, soft contact lenses, and intraocular lenses for correction of refractive errors of the eye.
