Mohamed SAB, Abdel-Ghaffar HS, Hassan NAA, et al. - When used as a premedication, buccal dexmedetomidine (DEX) induces adequate preoperative sedation and anxiolysis. Three doses of buccal DEX gel formulated for sedative premedication in women undergoing modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer were compared regarding their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. Researchers enrolled 36 patients in 3 groups (n = 12) to receive buccal DEX gel 30 minutes before surgery at 0.5 µg/kg (DEX 0.5 group), 0.75 µg/kg (DEX 0.75 group), or 1 µg/kg (DEX 1 group). Findings revealed significantly shorter median time to reach peak serum concentration of DEX in patients who received 1 µg/kg (60 minutes) compared with those who received 0.5 µg/kg (120 minutes) and 0.75 µg/kg (120 minutes). As it is administered 60–120 minutes prior to surgery, sublingual administration of DEX formulated as an oral-mucosal gel may represent a safe and practical means of sedative premedication in adults.