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Reasons for Choosing Parenteral Administration

• Enteral administration refers to drug administration via the gastrointestinal tract, while parenteral administration refers to any method of drug administration that does not utilize the gastrointestinal tract, commonly taken to mean drug administration by injection.
• Patients would prefer to receive their medication as an oral tablet or liquid to swallow, or as a cream, ointment, or transdermal patch to apply to the skin rather than receive treatment via injection, which can be painful or stressful.
• It is often simpler and much cheaper to prepare medicines such as tablets or liquids, particularly given the less stringent requirements for manufacturing premises for these non-sterile products, compared to the costs associated with manufacturing sterile medicines, such as injections, in highly specialized, controlled environments.
• Many medicines are administered parenterally because the drug molecule itself would be rapidly broken down in the gastrointestinal tract and would thus become inactivated before it could be absorbed into the circulatory system.
• Injectable routes may be chosen to provide a highly localized effect, particularly true when the injection route accesses a particular anatomical area or organ system.
• Intravenous injection delivers the drug directly into the circulatory system, where it is then rapidly distributed around the body, producing an effect much faster than orally administered drugs.
• Intramuscular injection can delay and prolong the release of the medicine from the injection site into the circulation, allowing for prolonged drug release and less frequent dosing.
• The intravenous route of injection is routinely used to administer medication to the unconscious patient who is unable to swallow and in conscious or unconscious patients if the gastrointestinal tract is not working.
• Not only are medicines, but fluids for hydration and electrolyte replacement, plus all the nutrients, vitamins, and trace elements normally obtained from a healthy diet supplied by parenteral nutrition provided intravenously.
• Examples of intravenous injections include emergency situations where a rapid onset of action is critical, while intra-articular, intra-ocular, and intrathecal injections target specific anatomical areas or organ systems.
• Injectable medications are manufactured in highly specialized, controlled environments due to their sterile nature, which increases their cost compared to non-sterile oral medications.
• Injectable medications are typically administered by healthcare professionals and require proper training and knowledge of injection techniques and safety protocols.