Route of Administration

Advantages

Disadvantages

Oral

Most convenient
Usually least expensive
Safe

Unpleasant taste
Gastric irritation
Irregular absorption in GI tract
Can harm teeth
Aspiration
Cannot be used before certain diagnostic tests or surgical procedures
Inappropriate for patients with nausea and vomiting or difficulty
swallowing or if unconscious

Sublingual

Same as oral, plus:

Drug can be administered for local effect
More potent than oral route because drug directly enters the
blood and bypasses the liver

May be inactivated by gastric juice

must remain under tongue until absorbed
May cause stinging and/or irritation of mucous membranes
Directly absorbed into bloodstream

Buccal

Same with sublingual

Same with sublingual

Rectal

Can be used if drug has objectionable taste/odor

Drug released at slow steady rate
Provides a local therapeutic effect

Dose absorbed is unpredictable

May be perceived as unpleasant by the client
Limited use

Vaginal

Provides a local effect

May be messy and may soil clothes

Topical

Few side effects

Drug can enter the body through abrasions and cause systemic effects

Transdermal

Avoids gastrointestinal absorption problems

Onset of drug action faster than oral

Leaves residue on the skin that may soil clothes

Subcutaneous

Must involve sterile technique

More expensivethan oral
can administeronly small volume
Slower than intramuscular injection
Some drugs irritate tissuesand cause pain
Can produce anxiety
Breaks skin barrier

Intramuscular

Can administer larger volume than subcutaneous

Drug is rapidly absorbed

Can produce anxiety

Intradermal

Absorption is slow

Amount of drug administered must be small

Breaks skin barrier

Intravenous

Rapid effect

Limited to high soluble drugs

Drug distribution inhibited by poor circulation

Inhalation

Introduces drug throughout respiratory tract

Rapid localized relief
Drug can be administered to unconscious client

Drug intended for localized effect can have systemic effect

Of use only for the respiratory system

Route of Administration
I. ORAL
DRUGS:
A. Solid
1. Tablet powdered drug compressed into a hard small disc.
a) Enteric-coated b) Scored 2. Pill one or more drugs mixed with a cohesive material, in oval, round or flattened shapes.
3. Capsule a gelatinous container to hold a drug in powder, liquid or oil form.
4. Caplet a solid form, shaped like a capsule, coated and easily swallowed
5. Powder a finely ground drug or drugs; some are used internally, others externally
B. Liquid
Syrup an aqueous solution of sugar often used to disguise unpleasant-tasting drugs
6. Suspension one or more finely divided in a liquid such as water
7. Tincture An alcoholic or water-and-alcohol solution prepared from drugs derived from plants
8. Elixir a sweetened and aromatic solution of alcohol used as a vehicle for medicinal agents
II. SUBLINGUAL a drug that is placed unde the tongue where it dissolves
Drugs are usuallyin small tablet form. Example:
III. BUCCAL a medication is held in the mouth against the mucous membrane of the cheek until the drug dissolves
DRUG:
A. Lozenge (troche) a flat, round, or oval preparation that dissolves and releases a drug when held in the mouth.
IV. TOPICAL application of medications to circumscribed areas of the body.
A. Dermatologic applied to the skin
DRUGS:
1. Liniment a medication mixed with alcoho, oil, or soapy emolient and applied to the skin
2. Lotion a medication in a liquid suspension applied to the skin
3. Ointment a semisolid preparation of one or more drugs used for application to the skin and mucous membrane.
4. Aerosol spray or foam- aliquid, powder or foam deposited in a thin layer on the skin by air pressure
5. cream a non greasy, semi-solid preparation used on the skin
6. Paste a preparation like an ointment, but thcker and stiff, that penetraes theskin less than an ointment
PRINCIPLES/PROCEDURES
1. Wash & pat dry the area well before application to facilitate absorption of drugs
2. Use surgical asepsis when open wound is present
3. If the skin has lesions, wear gloves or use tongue depressor to apply medication
4. Remove previous application before the next application of medication
5. Apply only a thin layer of medication
B. Opthalmic applied to the eyes
DRUGS:
7. Instillations to provide an eye medication the client requires
8. Irrigations toclear the eye of noxious orother foreign material or excessive secretion or in preparation for surgery
GUIDELINES:
1. Position client either sitting or lying
2. For irrigations, tilt the client's head towards the affected side
3. Use clean sterile technique

4. Clean the eyelidand eyelashes withsterile cotton balls moistened with sterile NSS, wipe from the inner canthus toouter canthus
5. Instill eye drops into outer third of lower conjunctival sac
6. Instill eye ointment into the lower conjunctival sac frominner canthus to the outer canthus outward.
7. Instruc the patient to close eyes gently
8. forliquideye medication, pree firmly on thenasolacrimalduct atleast 30 seconds
C. OTIC applied to ears
DRUGS:
9. Instillations to soften earwax, reduce inflammation and treat infection, relieve pain
10. Irrigations to remove cerumen or pus, to apply heat,to remove foreign object
PROCEDURE:
1. Warm solution at body temperature
2. Place patient in sidelying position with ear being treated uppermost
3. Clean the pinna of the ear and the meatus of the ear canal with cotton tipped applicator
4. Straighten the ear canal
5. Press gently but firmly a few times on the tragus of the ear to assist the flow of medication into the canal
6. Ask theclient to remain toside lying position for about 5 minutes
7. Insert asmall piece of cotton fluff loosely at the meatus of the auditory canal for 15 to 20 minutes
D. NASAL applied to nose
PROCEDURE:

E. INHALATION

F. VAGINAL
DRUGS:
1. Tablet
2. Cream
3. Jelly
4. Suppository
G. RECTAL