3D printing of solid oral dosage forms: numerous challenges with unique opportunities

Since the FDA approval of Spritam, there has been a growing interest in the application of 3D printing in pharmaceutical science. 3D printing is a method of manufacturing involving the layer-by-layer deposition of materials to create a final product according to a digital model. There are various techniques used to achieve this method of printing including the SLS, SLA, FDM, SSE and PB-inkjet printing. In biomanufacturing, bone and tissue engineering involving 3D printing to create scaffolds, while in pharmaceutics, 3D printing was applied in drug development, and the fabrication of drug delivery devices. This paper aims to review the use of some 3D printing techniques in the fabrication of oral solid dosage forms. FDM , SLA SLS , and PB-Inkjet printing processes were found suitable for the fabrication of oral solid dosage forms, though a great deal of the available research was focused on fused deposition modelling due to its availability and flexibility. Process parameters as well as strategies to control the characteristics of printed dosage forms are analysed and discussed. The review also presents the advantages and possible limitations of 3D printing of medicines.