Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part B (2025)

Pain relief is still a key challenge in clinical medicine, especially in acute and chronic diseases with lasting needs Transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS) as patches are increasingly utilized as non-invasive therapeutic interventions that provide drugs with extended release, avoid the hepatic first-pass effect, and enhance patient compliance. The review takes into account the promise of transdermal patches as an effective and safe delivery system of analgesic drugs. It opens with an overview of transdermal patch design, highlighting important formulation considerations like drug reservoirs, polymeric matrices, and permeation enhancers. Drug transport through the skin layers and the factors affecting transdermal absorption are addressed with special reference. Specific focus is on the physico-chemical characteristics of drugs most widely utilized in transdermal patches for analgesic purposes, including opioids (fentanyl, buprenorphine), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and local anesthetics. In addition, new patch technologies—iontophoresis, microneedles, and nanocarrier-based systems—are assessed in order to determine their ability to penetrate the skin barrier and enhance therapeutic performance. Marketed and regulatory products are stressed to accentuate clinical translation. Safety profile, side effects, and limitations of TDDS in pain relief are rigorously assessed. In total, transdermal patches are a valuable tool in pain treatment with targeted, continuous, and patient-tolerable drug delivery. Advances in formulation technology and delivery improvement technology in the near term will continue to broaden their therapeutic uses and make them a foundation stone in personalized treatment of pain.