Routes of Administration in Pharmacology

Routes of Administration

• Enteral: through the digestive system
  • Oral (by mouth)
  • Sublingual (under the tongue)
  • Rectal (through the anus)
• Parenteral: outside the digestive system
  • Intravenous (IV): into a vein
  • Intramuscular (IM): into a muscle
  • Subcutaneous (SC): under the skin
  • Intradermal (ID): into the skin
  • Intrapleural (IP): into the space between the lungs and chest wall
  • Epidural (EP): into the space outside the spinal sac
  • Intrathecal (IT): into the spinal fluid

Factors Affecting Drug Administration

• Dose: amount of drug administered
• Frequency: how often the drug is administered
• Route: method of administration
• Patient factors:
  • Age
  • Weight
  • Medical history
  • Liver and kidney function

Pharmacokinetics

• Absorption: process of drug entering the bloodstream
• Distribution: drug spread throughout the body
• Metabolism: drug breakdown by the body
• Excretion: removal of drug from the body

Drug Forms and Preparations

• Solid dosage forms: tablets, capsules, pills
• Liquid dosage forms: solutions, suspensions, emulsions
• Semisolid dosage forms: ointments, creams, gels
• Topical preparations: transdermal patches, inhalers
• Injectable preparations: solutions, suspensions, emulsions for injection

Routes of Administration

• Enteral administration involves the digestive system
• Oral administration is through the mouth
• Sublingual administration is under the tongue
• Rectal administration is through the anus
• Parenteral administration is outside the digestive system
• Intravenous administration is into a vein
• Intramuscular administration is into a muscle
• Subcutaneous administration is under the skin
• Intradermal administration is into the skin
• Intrapleural administration is into the space between the lungs and chest wall
• Epidural administration is into the space outside the spinal sac
• Intrathecal administration is into the spinal fluid

Factors Affecting Drug Administration

• Dose of a drug refers to the amount administered
• Frequency of administration refers to how often the drug is given
• Route of administration refers to the method of administration
• Patient factors affecting drug administration include age, weight, medical history, and liver and kidney function

Pharmacokinetics

• Absorption is the process of a drug entering the bloodstream
• Distribution involves the spread of a drug throughout the body
• Metabolism involves the breakdown of a drug by the body
• Excretion involves the removal of a drug from the body

Drug Forms and Preparations

• Solid dosage forms include tablets, capsules, and pills
• Liquid dosage forms include solutions, suspensions, and emulsions
• Semisolid dosage forms include ointments, creams, and gels
• Topical preparations include transdermal patches and inhalers
• Injectable preparations include solutions, suspensions, and emulsions for injection