Disclosed herein are nanoparticles comprising an inorganic material having pores that can quickly absorb pharmaceutical moieties and then release such moieites in a controlled fashion for an extended period of time. The nanoparticles can be aggregated in order to form microaggregates that provide the same advantages of quick absorption and controlled release of pharmaceutical moieties. Quick absorption permits the preparation of drug-loaded nanoparticles and microaggregates essentially contemporaneously with the time of treatment, such as during a surgical process. Methods of preparing such nanoparticles and microaggregates are also provided, as are methods for administering a pharmaceutical moiety using the nanoparticles and microaggregates.
