Routes of drug administration – This book covers the entire syllabus of “Pharmacology” prescribed by BNMC- for diploma in nursing science & midwifery students. We tried to accommodate the latest information and topics. This book is an examination set up according to the teachers’ lectures and examination questions.

At the end of the book, previous questions are given. We hope in touch with the book students’ knowledge will be upgraded and flourish. The unique way of presentation may make your reading of the book a pleasurable experience.

Table of Contents

Routes of drug administration

The route of administration is determined by

1. The properties of the drug for example

water or lipid solubility,
ionization

2. The therapeutic objectives for example

The desirability of a rapid onset,
the need for long-term treatment,
restriction of delivery to a local site

Definition of Drug Administration:

Medication administration is defined as preparing, giving and evaluating the effectiveness of prescription and non-prescription drugs.

Purposes of Drug Administration:

1. To prevent illness.

2. To treat illness.

3. To restore bodily functions.

4. To provide a medication that has systematic or local effect on gastrointestinal tract.

5. To prevent the disease.

6. To cure the disease.

7. To promote the health.

8. To give palliative treatment.

9. To give as a systematic treatment.

Patient Rights for Administration of Drug:

There are many ways to prevent medication errors and one way of which is understanding the 10 “rights” of drug administration:

1. Right Drug.	Check and verify if it’s the right name and form. Beware of look-alike and sound-alike medication names. Misreading medication names that look similar is a common mistake. These look-alike medication names may also sound alike and can lead to errors associated with verbal prescriptions.
2. Right Patient.	Ask the name of the client and check his/her ID band before giving the medication.
3. Right Dose.	Check the medication sheet and the doctor’s order before medicating. Be aware of the difference of an adult and a pediatric dose.
4. Right Route.	Check the order if it’s oral, IV, SQ, IM, etc.
5. Right Time and Frequency.	Check the order for when it would be given and when was the last time it was given.
6. Right Documentation	Make sure to right the time and any remarks on the chart correctly.
7. Right History and Assessment.	Secure a copy of the client’s history to drug interactions and allergies
8. Drug approach and Right to Refuse	Give the client enough autonomy to refuse to the medication after thoroughly explaining the effects.
9. Right Drug-Drug Interaction and Evaluation.	Review any medications previously given or the diet of the patient that can yield a bad interaction to the drug to be given. Check also the expiry date of the medication being given.
10. Right Education and Information.	Provide enough knowledge to the patient of what drug he/she would be taking and what are the expected therapeutic and side effects.

Routes of Drug Administration:

1. Systemic route

2. Local route

A. Systemic route:

a) Enteral or alimentary Route:

Sublingual route
Oral route
Rectal route

b) Parenteral route (extra-intestinal)

Injection

Subcutaneous (SC)
Intracutaneous (IC)
Intraarterial (IA)
Intravenous (IV)
Intramuscular (IM)
Intraarticular (IArt)
Intraperitoneal (IP)
Intraventricular
Intracardiac
Intrapleural

Inhalation

As a gas: e.g.: Volatile anaesthetic: N20, Chloroform
As an aerosol: e.g. Beta 2 adrenoceptor agonist: Salbutamol (Bronchodilator)
As a powder: e.g. Na chromoglycate

B. Local route:

Applied to the localized area and action is confined to that particular area.

a) Topical application: Ointment, paste, drops, powder, lotions etc.

Skin inunction (by rubbing of drug on skin)
To mucous membrane of nose, urethra, rectum, anal canal, vagina.
To eye and ear.m

b) Iontophoresis: In this process the drug is applied to the particular area of skin and Galvanic current is used to increase absorption through skin.

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Routes of drug administration | CHAPTER-1 | Pharmacology