Module 2 - Route of Administration Flashcards
- Routes of Administration (& advantages / disadvantages)
Enteral Route
This involves drugs administered orally (mouth or a tube)
Topical Route
Application to the skin or an orifice (like eyes and nose*)
Parenteral Route
Any route that is not enteral, usually involves a needle.
Oral Delivery:
Taken by mouth through the digestive track – in liquid or pill, tablet or capsule
- Easy to do, slow release of drugs, and protected from harmful enzymes and acids
- Absorbed slowly, and unpredictable adsorption due to acid and enzyme degration
Topical Delivery:
The drug is usually delivered directly into the site of action.
- Easy and non-invasive
- Slow adsorption (excluding nose), and difficult to control dosage
Inhalation Delivery
Medication taken into the bloodstream via the lungs
- Rapid absorption and fastest way to deliver a drug to a brain.
- Requires proper technique to get correct dosage, and bioavailability depends on size.
Suppository Delivery:
Delivery via the rectum, vagina or urethra
- Good adsorption
- Cannot be used after certain surgeries.
Intravenous Injection
Injection into the vein
- Entire administered dose reaches the circulatory system immediately (bioavailability of 1).
- Labor intensive and costly (requires skill), prone to infections, and distressing.
Intramuscular and Subcutaneous Injection
- Long duration of activity and rapid effect
- Unpredictable absorption, and can be painful or cause bruising
I.V. vs. Oral Administration:
I.V. - Allows for high levels of the drug in the bloodstream IMMEDIATELY! Drug concentration decreases overtime as it’s eliminated
Oral - Starts with zero absorption into the bloodstream but increases over time. Eventually decreases as elimination occurs. However, part of the drug is metabolized in the “first-pass effect.”
Route of Administration
The pathway in which the drug takes to hit its intended target.
Ex. Oral is an option, as most drugs can be consumed.
ADME
- Absorption
- Distribution
- Metabolism
- Excretion
