Medications are effective just when they reach their site of action so different routes of drug administration are used to produce systemic effects, they provide significant advantages and have some disadvantages that depend on the requirement and way of drug administration.
The route of drug administration is the route by which a drug is delivered or taken or inserted into the body to cure, prevent, diagnose or treatment of various disorders and diseases. The routes of drug administration are classified into local routes and systemic routes. The local route is the simplest method of drug administration at the site where preferred action of the drug is required, and in systemic routes, medication is usually administered using two major routes, i.e. enteral route and paternal route.
The advantages and disadvantages of different routes of drug administration are as follows.
1. Oral route of drug administration:
The drug is taken by mouth in oral administration; it is one of the most commonly used drugs since it is the most economical and convenient way of drug administration. The oral medication consists of powders, tablets, capsules, caplets, granules, and suspension or liquid.
Advantages:
The oral route is simple and convenient for patients
Ready-to-use, and can be self-administered
It is cheaper and painless
It can be formulated with different types, different size, and shapes
Oral dosage forms can be formulated as sustained, controlled, or delayed-release
Disadvantages:
It has a slow onset of action, so it has limitations in the use of an emergency
Solid oral medications can be difficult to swallow, especially in children and elderly patients
It is not suitable for unconscious patients and patients with severe diarrhea and vomiting
2. Buccal and sublingual route of drug administration:
Buccal administration is where the dosage form is placed between gums and cheeks so that the drug can be dissolved and get absorbed into the blood. In sublingual administration, the dosage form is placed under the tongue to dissolve and absorb the drug.
Advantages:
Buccal and sublingual administration provide a rapid onset of action
It is a simple way and self-administration of medication is possible
It bypasses the first-pass metabolism
Large amounts of saliva are not required to achieve dissolution of the active drug component (API)
Disadvantages:
It is not suitable for the drugs that have an unpleasant taste and odor, irritant and lipid-soluble drugs
It works only for small doses, not for high drug dosing
It is not convenient for all patients
The patient need to refrain from drinking, talking, and spitting it may affect the dose
3. Rectal route of drug administration:
In this route of administration, to produce local or systemic effects of the drug the rectum is used as a route of administration. The rectum is the ending portion of the large intestine that can be used for drug delivery and the drugs can be in suppository or liquid form.
Advantages:
Increases the bioavailability of the drug by avoiding the metabolism of both enteric and first-pass hepatic elimination
A high concentration of drug can rapidly be achieved
It is useful in case of vomiting, nausea, and inability to swallow
The rate of drug absorption cannot affect by food or gastric emptying
Disadvantages:
Most patients feel uncomfortable, so it is not well accepted
It has unpredictable and slow absorption of the medication
In some cases, inflammation and irritation of the rectal mucus may occur.
4. Inhalation route of drug administration:
The inhalation route of drug administration involves the administration of a drug in the form of aerosol, gas, or fine powder through the respiratory tract.
Advantages:
It provides rapid onset of action almost as fast as with IV.
It delivers the drug to the disease target site in the treatment of pulmonary and non-pulmonary diseases
It is an easy and effective way for those patients who have trouble breathing
The inhalation route requires a minimum dose of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API)
Disadvantages:
Not all drugs are suitable for the formulation with this technique
Difficult to regulate the exact amount of drug
Drugs and excipients that have an unpleasant taste and odor are difficult to formulate
5. Topical route of drug administration:
In the topical/transdermal route of drug administration, the drug is applied on the surface of the skin in the form of lotions, liniments, patches, sprays, gels, and creams.
Advantages:
It provides high levels of patient satisfaction
It is convenient and easy to apply on-site
Small amounts of active ingredient are required
It avoids gastrointestinal incompatibility
Disadvantages:
The drugs that have high molecular weight and are poorly lipid-soluble are unable to absorbed by the skin or mucous membranes
As compared to other routes of drug administration it has a very slow absorption
Local skin irritation may be possible at the site of application
6. Intravenous route of drug administration:
As the name indicated, this method is used to deliver the medication directly into the vein using a syringe.
Advantages:
It is one of the methods that provide quick onset of action
Drugs with a highly irritant, unpleasant taste, and odor can be given
It provides 100% bioavailability
The large volume of medication in the form of fluid can be administered
Does not harm the digestive system because it bypasses them
Disadvantages:
Increased risk of overdose, infection, and arterial damage
Trained person is required for medication
It is a painful method
Only highly soluble drugs are used
7. Intramuscular route of drug administration:
The intramuscular route is a technique used to deliver a medication deep into the muscles.
Advantages:
Intramuscular is a less painful method than other parenteral routes of drug administration
It is also a good option for those who cannot take the drugs by the oral route.
Rapid and uniform absorption of the drug is possible
Disadvantages:
Self-administration is not possible
Large amounts of the drug cannot be administered by it
Aseptic conditions desirable while giving the medication
Nerve injury can happen
8. Subcutaneous route of drug administration:
In subcutaneous medication, a small needle is used to inject a drug into the tissue layer between the skin and the muscle.
Advantages:
It is a widely used and effective route of administration in skin infections
It can provide prolong the effect of the drug as it has slow adsorption
Self-administration is possible
It has less pain compared to the intravenous and intramuscular route
Disadvantages:
The absorption of the drug is slower than the intravenous route
It is not appropriate for non-irritant drugs
Useful only for 1-2 ml, large quantities cannot be injected
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