Route of Administration for Drugs

Route of Administration for Drugs

Drugs have many routes of administration based on the type of drug, and properties of the drug that influence the best route of administration.

Drugs can be administered orally, topically, by injection, intravenously, vaginally or rectally.

There are also medications that are given in the eyes, nose and ears. Some are administered via an enema into the bowels.

Many medications are given by topical routes including allergy testing, local anesthesia, inhaled medicines as in asthma, eye drops for conjunctivitis, and eardrops for otitis externa or antibiotics for otitis media.

Decongestants can be sprayed into the nose or dropped into the nose. Tablets can be swallowed; liquid medicines can be taken by mouth. Gastric feeding tubes can administer some medicines as well as duodenal feeding tubes, or drugs and enteral nutrition given by gastrostomy.

Rectal medicines can be given by way of an enema or a suppository.

Injectable drugs can be given intramuscularly (into a muscle) such as vaccines, antibiotics, and long-term psychoactive drugs.

Drugs for cardiac can be given into the heart (intracardiac) such as adrenaline during cardiopulmonary resuscitation and introosseous infusion (into the bone marrow) used for drugs and fluids in emergency medicine and in pediatric cases when intravenous methods are not possible.

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Transdermal is diffusion through the intact skin layer such as patches for pain therapy and nicotine patches and birth control patches.

Epidurals are used in childbirth for anesthesia and for pain relief.

Each route of administration has both advantages and disadvantages. Drugs that are inhaled are used because inhalation is a fast method.

Inhalation usually takes 7 to 10 seconds for the medication to reach the brain. The user can regulate the medication used.

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The disadvantages of inhaled medications are that sometimes it can be difficult to use the inhaler mouthpiece or the mouthpiece can malfunction.

Injection can be done intravenous (IV), intramuscularly (IM), and by subcutaneous (subcu).

The advantages are that IV medications can be fast from 15 to 30 seconds, and IM and subcutaneous meds can take 3 to 5 minutes. One injection can be effective for a long time anywhere from a few days to several months as in birth control shots that work for 3 months.

IV can easily give fluids and morphine and continuous medications can be given this way.

Disadvantages for injectable medications are that needles can be shared, increasing risk for HIV and other infections.

Injections are more dangerous because it exposes the user to hepatitis, abscesses, infections and undissolved particles or additives with no way for the body to defend itself.

If not administered properly air bubbles can occur and be fatal.