BACKGROUND: The percutaneous penetration of topically applied compounds can be enhanced using external chemical or physical sources and thus laser-assisted drug delivery is a burgeoning area of interest within the field of dermatology.

OBJECTIVES: This article briefly discusses the mechanism of laser-assisted drug delivery and expands upon the challenges and safety issues that may arise in the clinical implementation of this modality.

RESULTS: The existing literature demonstrates that investigators and clinicians in dermatology have successfully delivered anti-inflammatory, anti-neoplastic, and anti-oxidative medications transdermally for the treatment of a variety of conditions including scarring, photoageing, and cutaneous neoplasia. Despite growth of the field, much remains to be learned about the applicability of laser-assisted drug delivery in humans, and practitioners are faced with new safety concerns that may be associated with this treatment modality.

CONCLUSIONS: Challenges in laser assisted drug delivery include unpredictability of dosing and response to therapy, possibility of inducing local and systemic reactions, and variability in treatment regimens. Lasers Surg. Med. 50:20-27, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.