Patches that release medicinal substances are now available for various areas of application. With their help, an active ingredient can be absorbed evenly by the body. Prerequisite: The active ingredient is well absorbed by the skin. It then enters the bloodstream directly and does not put any pressure on the stomach or intestines. We provide instructions and tips on how to best achieve this.
How quickly do patches work?
Be patient and do not expect quick results. Patch treatment should be a long-term therapy. The drugs do not have an acute effect on the patch. The active ingredient must first enter the bloodstream through the skin. With fentanyl painkilling patches, for example, pain relief may only be felt after six to twelve hours.
Tip: If you have an infection and a fever, talk to your doctor about treatment with patches.
What is a good location for paving?
The package insert contains a lot of information: The skin must be intact, hairless, the plaster must not be folded and must not come into contact with other people. The recommended areas of skin for gluing are the upper back, the skin below the collarbone, the hip region and the thighs, as long as there are no lesions, scars or tattoos.
Make sure that your waistband or bra doesn’t rub and that the adhesive doesn’t constantly crease when you move. Areas of skin where you sweat a lot are also unfavorable, as they won’t stick in the long term.
Tip: The adhesive should definitely be changed with each new cast. You should not apply any cast to the affected area of skin for at least a week so that it can heal properly.
How does plaster with active ingredient adhere properly?
The selected area of skin should only be cleaned with water before gluing and then dried carefully. Do not use soap or other cleaning agents or care products, as this may alter the absorption of the active ingredients by the skin.
If the skin in the planned area is hairy, scissors will help. Carefully trim the hair before applying the patch. The skin in this area should not be shaved because even the smallest injuries caused by the sharp blade uncontrollably alter the transport of active ingredients into the body.
Tip: Be sure not to touch the adhesive area after removing the protective film, and stick the sticker immediately after removing it. Press it with the palm of your hand for about 30 seconds. Then wash your hands.
Can the plasters be cut?
This is not recommended. The basic rule is that transdermal therapeutic systems should not be cut, as all of the active ingredient can escape at once – in the case of pain patches, this can be fatal because high doses can cause respiratory arrest, for example.
This may be different with matrix plasters – a type of plaster in which the active ingredient is processed directly into the adhesive layer. However, they adhere less well after being cut and it is not sufficiently known how much of the active ingredient gets into the body. Therefore, you should usually not break such plasters, but rather ask for a different dosage or a different form of medication, for example tablets or juice.
9 tips for the correct handling of active ingredient adhesives
- Don’t shave. You should leave the area chosen for the cast alone three days in advance.
- Do not apply heat or cold. Patches containing active ingredients are temperature sensitive. Both a hot water bottle and a cooling pad can alter the amount of active ingredient delivered to the body. These are best avoided, as are sauna visits.
- Do not bend or rub. Joints, waistbands or backpack straps – anything that rubs or presses on the cast should be avoided.
- No hugging with plasters. Avoid physical contact with other people, especially children, in the area where the sticker is located.
- Don’t hesitate after opening. After opening the package, you should quickly stick it and press it for 30 seconds. If you wait too long after opening, the adhesive will not stick either.
- Do not label. If you want to note when the patch was applied, you should do so on the packaging or stick a simple labeled adhesive tape next to the medicated patch. The medicated patch should remain unlabeled. The pressure and solvent from a pen can influence the release of the active ingredient.
- Never throw it in the trash. If you throw away a Band-Aid, remember to stick it on. Even used plasters still contain a lot of the active ingredient.
- Do not place in the medicine cabinet without packaging. Anyone using medicated plasters should never store them among regular plasters, as this can quickly cause confusion.
- Never use two at the same time. Anyone who has been using active patches for a long time should always remove the previous patch completely before applying a new patch. Otherwise, there is a risk of overdose.