ABSTRACT
Analysis of present research trends in various laboratories may suggest to some extent the future development of extended-release dosage forms. It seems absolutely certain that this type of dosage form is widely appreciated, and therefore it should be expected that more and more drugs will be manufactured in controlled-release dosage forms. Drug delivery pumps may have a feed-back device modifying the drug delivery rate in relation to the need. The receptor can control at all times the parameters determining the rate of delivery, such as blood pressure, frequency of heart beat, or measurement of blood glucose level. A microcomputer processes this data to render the actual drug need and regulates the delivery rate accordingly. At first such devices were very big and not portable. Advanced miniaturization has allowed for the construction of portable pumps which can be easily carried at all times by a patient.
