Iontophoresis: noninvasive drug delivery.

Iontophoresis allows for the transdermal delivery of charged drugs under the influence of a low-level electric current. Recently iontophoretic technology has been used to deliver lidocaine to provide rapid, noninvasive local anesthesia. Studies have also demonstrated the ability to obtain systemic opiate levels using this technology. In this article we review the history and principles of iontophoresis as well as the literature supporting its use for both local anesthesia and systemic analgesia.