ABSTRACT
As a direct result of the increasing complexity of pharmaceutical systems, polymeric interactions with drugs and other excipients in the formulations play a signicant role in determining product attributes. Product properties such as chemical purity, drug release, and physical appearance can all be directly inuenced by the type of polymeric material chosen for development of a pharmaceutical system, ultimately leading to success or failure of the product under development. Additionally, because of the regulatory requirements for pharmaceutical systems to provide wellcontrolled physical and chemical properties throughout the product shelf life, pharmaceutical scientists must consider not only the initial properties of the product but also the long-term properties to ensure accurate and reproducible performance throughout the product life. These properties can be impacted by phenomena occurring over extended timescales. As such, one must think about polymeric interactions with drugs and excipients in terms of the immediate effect and long-term stability of the system in order to develop a suitable pharmaceutical system.
