Wits University scientists invent wafer drug delivery system

Professor Viness Pillay at Wits University isn't an old man in a white coat. He is young, smart-looking who isn't looking at pharmacy in any traditional sense.

Pillay has said that very few scientists at wits are working on drug-delivery design, yet he & his team have come up with 6 inventions in the span of four years, for much less than they would cost overseas.

One method that has been invented is the wafer delivery system, that is made to minimise the use of injections and deliver medicine into the body almost immediately, instead of waiting an hour or so for a tablet to work.

The wafer is put against the inside of the cheek, where it dissolves within three to 30 seconds, going straight into the bloodstream. It can be used for emergency situations like allergic reactionsas well as for pain relief, insomnia, halitosis and even dental anaesthesia.