In pharmacology and toxicology, the route of administration refers to the route followed by a medication, fluid, toxin, or other material to enter the body. Routines of administration are categorised by the site of application of the drug. Oral and intravenous delivery are typical examples. It is also possible to categorise routes depending on the location of the intended target of action. Enteral, parenteral, and topical actions may all be used to achieve the same end result (systemic action, but delivered by routes other than the GI tract). Drug distribution includes the method of administration and the dose type.
Oral (PO)
In later Chapters, we’ll go into oral administration in more depth. Oral ingestion may have a wide range of absorption results. The rate of absorption may also be influenced by the design of the dosage form.
Advantages:
- Portable, safe, painless, and simple to swallow.
- Cost-effective – no sterilization required (although sanitary practises must be followed), small multi-dose bottles, and automated equipment generate vast numbers of tablets.
- Fast-acting pills, capsules, enteric-coated, multilayer, and slow-release tablets are all available in a wide range of dose forms.
Disadvantages:
- Ineffective medications, such as those with large doses or low solubilities, may be difficult to obtain, resulting in just a portion of the prescribed dosage being used. A micronized powder version of griseofulvin was added to the original formulation in the 1970s. The enhanced bioavailability at the time resulted in a doubling of the recommended dosage.
Buccal and Sublingual (SL)
Smaller pills, held in the mouth or placed under the tongue, are used to administer several medications. Sublingual and buccal dose formulations are available. Buccal pills are often made of a tougher material (disintegration time: 4 hours) and are thus intended to dissolve slowly in the mouth. Angina may be quickly alleviated with nitroglycerin sublingual tablets [2-minute disintegration time]. Some steroids, including as testosterone and oxytocin, are also administered via this ROA. Chewing gum containing nicotine may be used as a substitute for smoking cigarettes.
