Abstract

Electrophoresis is a method used to enhance the delivery of compounds across a membrane by means of an electrical field. For the delivery of drugs or compounds to a tissue or into the body, this method is called iontophoresis. The mechanisms of iontophoresis-enhanced transport include electrophoresis, electroosmosis, and electropermeabilization. The advantages of iontophoresis over other physical enhancement methods of drug delivery include the noninvasiveness, the potential for programmable drug delivery, and the established theories of this technique for predictable outcomes. Iontophoresis is one of the most studied physical enhancement methods, and the concept of using an electric field to enhance drug transport across skin and other tissues has been studied for decades. Among these tissues, it has been demonstrated that iontophoresis is an effective method to enhance transdermal, transungual, and ocular drug delivery. This chapter provides an overview of iontophoretic drug delivery with a focus on the different routes of administration utilizing this physical enhancement technique.