ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Combining drugs with materials using 3D printing technology can be formulated Into a dosage form with a specific release rate, which is better for clinical use. OBJECTIVE: To review the preparation technique, advantages and indications of pharmaceutical composites made from western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, metal elements and Ions and related materials. METHODS: The first author used the search terms "Drug; Chinese medicine; Metal; Composite materials; 3D printing" to search the CNKI and Wanfang databases In Chinese and the PubMed and Web of Science in English to retrieve papers published during 1950-2019. A total of 339 papers were preliminarily retrieved. After screening, 46 papers were included in the final analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Pharmaceutical composite materials made of western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, metal elements and Ions and related materials have certain advantages in the pharmaceutical field and clinical use. It can not only improve the bioavailability of drugs, reduce toxic side effects, but also achieve a combination of drugs. In recent years, drug composite materials have been used In orthopedics, dentistry, cardiovascular medicine, otolaryngology and other fields, but its application is still in its Infancy. Many aspects need to be Improved, such as improving the quality of drug composites, Increasing mechanical stability, reducing the brittleness, printing the full-featured blood vessels and organs that fit the size of the human body, and better Imitating the biomechanics and tissue structure of human body.