The Application of Polymers in Fabricating 3D Printing Tablets by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and The Impact on Drug Release Profile

A new chapter in the pharmaceutical industry has been created by 3D printing, particularly in the manufacturing of solid preparations. This technology can support the modification of medicine in terms of drug dosage. Furthermore, it is achieved by adjusting the volume of tablets while being designed using the software to meet the required dose. The research aims to review several polymers used in 3D printing through the fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique. The polymers in filament fabrication for 3D printed tablets should be thermoplastic and have the appropriate mechanical properties for further processing steps. This review focuses on studying the characteristics of polymers such as polylactic acid, polyvinyl alcohol, polycaprolactone, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyethylene oxide, ethylene vinyl acetate, ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, and hydroxypropyl cellulose. Additionally, it discusses the effect of these polymers on the drug release profile from the 3D printed tablets.