Microneedles (MNs) enhance transdermal drug delivery (TDD) by enabling better drug absorption and avoiding pain and needle-related risks, thereby improving treatment for chronic conditions and enhancing patient comfort. This study introduces optimised 3D-printed stainless-steel MN arrays coated with biocompatible polymers. Conical-shaped MNs (36 MNs/patch) were fabricated using the direct metal laser melting process and optimised through a Design of Experiments approach. Optimal MNs, with a height of ~780 μm and tip diameter ~25 μm, with reduced roughness, were developed. These MNs demonstrated a skin penetration depth ranging between 400-700 μm without the potential for reaching the pain receptors. Ex vivo studies on porcine skin demonstrated the efficacy of the MNs since a force of ~4 N is required for them to penetrate the stratum corneum with no tip fracture. MNs were dip-coated with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) loaded with Rhodamine B (RhoB, Mw=479.02 g/mol) as a model drug. A 5-layer coating with 10% PVA-RhoB, 20% PVP-RhoB or 8% CMC-RhoB resulted in a homogeneous coating on MNs without affecting the geometrical characteristics or the penetration depth, leading to a drug loading capacity of 11.0±2.0 μg, 15.0±1.5 μg and 12.5±3.0 μg respectively. PVA/PVP/CMC-RhoB coated-MNs resulted in 60-80% drug delivery to porcine skin within 5 min of MN application. Additionally, the 2-h in vitro permeation study presented slower drug permeation for PVA RhoB and CMC-RhoB, with a steady-state flux (J) ranging from 0.017-0.044 (μg/cm2)/min, than PVP-RhoB (J=0.23 (μg/cm2)/min). Despite differing kinetics, all polymers achieved 80-95% drug permeation after 2-h. The coated metallic-MN technology offers a promising solution to the limitations of current TDD systems, providing a painless and controllable method for drug administration. Future work includes in vivo studies to verify efficacy, and potential applications in managing pain and chronic illnesses, aiming for a minimally invasive and patient-compliant delivery system.