Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CxL0Fo4xy_m/ Texas A&M pharmacologists have perfected a method for 3D printing medications with precise dosages in child-friendly shapes and flavors.  This technology permits the fabrication of pills that deliver just the proper amount of a drug that works most effectively and safely within a narrow dosing range.  Currently, to deliver such doses, adult-sized pills must be crushed and dissolved in liquids in a process called compounding that may cause a deterioration in drug potency.  Though 3D pill printing isn’t new, the Texas team has developed a process that eliminates the use of solvents that often shorten shelf life.  First creating a drug powder, they mix in a biocompatible polymer, a coloring, and a flavoring before the mix is introduced into the heated print chamber.  The tablets are finished with a laser, and studies are now underway to modify this final finishing to create timed release of the contained medication. https://engineering.tamu.edu/news/2023/