medication routes and dosage formulations

Routes and Formulations

Reasons for Different Routes of Administration

Ease of administration– Convenience/Compliance

Rate of onset– Rapid/slow onset of action desired

Duration of action– Rapid/Prolong the duration of action

Site of action– Target drug delivery to a specific site

Preferred route is unavailable

Enteral Parenteral

Anything involving the ALIMENTARY tract

– Mouth to rectum

Oral (po) Rectal (pr) Sublingual (sl) Buccal

Anything that is outside of or beside the alimentary tract

Drugs administered that bypass the GIT

Oral (PO) Rectal (PR)

Safe, easy to administer Convenient, most economical Usually painless

Erratic absorption Stomach irritation Slow onset Patient must be conscious

No GI irritation Useful for unconscious or

vomiting patients Useful for treating conditions

of the rectum

Inconvenient, unliked More expensive Erratic absorption Slow onset

Sublingual & Buccal

Convenient, safe to administer Rapid absorption, no GI upset

Short acting, possibly unpleasant taste Limited number of drugs available this way Patient must be conscious

Solid Oral Formulations

Tablets– Sugar or film coated– Repeat-action

Sustained release (SR) Controlled release (CR) Enteric coated

– Chewable– Effervescent salts– Lozenges/troches

Capsules Bulk powders

Composition– Active drug– Inactive ingredients (inert)

Diluents Disintegrant Binder Lubricant

Liquid Oral Formulations

Solutions Syrups Elixirs Spirits Tinctures Suspensions Emulsions Gels

Pouring Liquids

Left side– Apothecary units

Right side– Metric units

Meniscus– Error of parallax– Eye level

Meniscus

Parenteral Route

Intraocular– Ophthalmic– Conjunctival

Otic Intranasal Inhalation Dermal (Topical) TransDermal

Vaginal (PV) Urethral Intra-dermal (ID) Subcutaneous (SQ) Intravenous (IV) Intramuscular (IM)

Ophthalmic Formulations

Administration– Dropper– Ointment (ung)– Ocusert

Intranasal

What Does Not Add UP?

Oral Inhalation

Absorption Devices

– MDI– Spacer– Nebulizers

Topicals

The Skin– Absorption

Products– Creams,Ointments– Gels, Lotions– Aerosols– Tapes– Trans-dermal systems

Vaginal

Products Suppository Creams Solutions/Foams Tablets IUD

Urethral

Injections

Usefulness– Rapid response– Pt unconscious/unco-op– Poor GI absorption

Disadvantage– Cost– Skilled personnel– Drug difficult to remove if

toxic effect

Injection Routes

Injection Routes

IV Solutions

IV with Piggyback (IVPB)

Volumetric Infusion Controller

Infusion Pump

Summary Slide

Reasons for Different Routes of Administration Enteral

– Oral (PO) Rectal (PR)– Sublingual (SL) and Buccal

Solid Oral Formulations Liquid Oral Formulations Parenteral Route