Medications and Wound Healing: A Narrative Literature Review

One constant in the care of patients with wounds and multiple chronic illnesses is the use of pharmacotherapy. While clinicians understand the need for drug use to treat patients' disorders, some may not be aware of their potential impact on wound healing. This article describes wound healing processes, explains how common categories of drugs exert both detrimental and helpful effects on wound healing, and delineates clinical implications for health care providers. Alternative topical use of prescription medications and complementary (herbal) therapy is also described.