| Some drugs can be absorbed well into the body through the skin. A transdermal patch allows controlled release of small amounts of a drug over a long period of time. Drugs applied in this way include heart medications for angina pectoris, antinausea drugs for travel sickness, and hormone replacements. One of the more popular uses of drug patches is the nicotine patch, used in stop-smoking programs as a way to gradually decrease the amount of nicotine needed by addicted smokers. |