mouth but instead of ingesting the medication, the medication is absorbed within
the oral cavity from beneath the tongue (sublingual) or between the cheek and
gum (buccal).
You probably rubbed hydrocortisone on an insect bite to relieve itching.
Itching subsides as the skin absorbs the hydrocortisone. This is the topical route.
Medication is also absorbed by the skin using the transdermal route, which is
commonly known as the “patch.”
Medication that you place in your eyes, ears, or in your nose is administered
using the instillation route in the form of drops, ointment, and sprays. Patients
with lung problems sometimes receive medication using the inhalation route.
Medication is delivered using an inhaler that changes liquid medication into
a spray.
Patients who have upper gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances might have a tube
inserted via the nasal passage into the stomach (nasogastric tube) or a tube inserted
directly into the stomach through the skin and stomach wall (gastrostomy tube)
that is used to bypass the upper GI tract and provides a direct path to the stom-
ach. Both tubes can be used to introduce medication into the patient.
The suppository route is used to administer medication through the rectum
and the vagina. A route that few patients look forward to is the parenteral route
because medication is given using injections or directly into the vein, the intra-
venous (IV) routes.ORAL ROUTE
Oral medications are in the form of tablets, capsules, and liquids and most are
absorbed in the small intestine and have a peak time of between 1 and 3 hours.
Tablets can be divided using a tablet cutter into half or quarters to reduce the
dosage that is given to the patient. Some tablets can also be crushed so that
the medication can be mixed with food such as applesauce. Capsules must be
taken whole because they are enteric-coated so that the medication isn’t
released until it reaches the intestines. Some capsules contain timed-release
medication.
Here are the precautions that must be taken when the oral route is prescribed.- No oral medication is given to patients who are vomiting, who lack a gag
reflex, or who are in an unresponsive state. - Do not mix oral medication with large amounts of food or liquid because it
can alter the effectiveness of the medication. Food and liquid might interfere
with the patient’s ability to absorb the medication depending on the drug. In
that case medication should be given while the patient’s stomach is empty.
(^98) CHAPTER 6 Route of Administration