THE ORAL ROUTE OF DRUG ADMINISTARTION

THE ORAL ROUTE OF DRUG ADMINISTARTION:  The oral route is the most commonly used route of drug administration in both conscious patients and children.  This is when you take the drug via the mouth and swallow it with aid of clean drinking water.  The drug then will be taken to the stomach and then to the other parts of the Gastrointestinal Tract also sometimes known as alimentary canal.  It is mainly used in conscious patients and when eating and swallowing functions normally, or when the patient can listen to commands.  Drugs that are taken via this route goes all the way to the intestines via the stomach, and some get absorbed into the circulatory system while others may remain and work within the gastrointestinal tract like in case of deworming tablets.  For other drugs such as Mebendazole and Albendazole, the effects may be localised in the GIT and less or non of it may be absorbed into the systemic circulation.  This allows them to act up on the intended microbial infestations within the intestines and also helps in minimizing possible side effects.

REASONS FOR USING THE ORAL ROUTE:  There several reasons why drugs are given via this route and this article, let us look at one by one but before we continue, if you have not been following us, click here to read more about the routes of drug administration, and here to read about dynamics of drugs in the human body.

1.  The fast pass metabolism of drugs:  Among most of the drugs we take, there is always a requirement of the drug to pass through the liver first, and then back to the gastrointestinal tract for reabsorption.  This is known as the fast pass effect and the GIT is the best route for such metabolism.  In this case, it is the requirement for the liver to break down part of the drug or conjugate it.

2.  Moderation of bioavailability:  Not all the quantity of the drug is required to directly enter the circulation in most cases.  Sometimes some drugs may be very toxic and the oral route allows some of the drug to be absorbed slowly and takes sometime before it reaches the systemic circulation.

3.  Non invasive:  The oral route does not require sophisticated procedures on the human body and therefore the patient will not be exposed to introduction of microbial pathogens in blood.  This is not so, especially with other routes of drug administration where there is a requirement for use of injections.

DISADVANTAGES OF USING THE ORAL ROUTE:  Like any other medical procedure, the oral route has setbacks over which the patient may suffer several consequences and below are some of the most common errors.

1.  Unpredictable bioavailability:  When drugs pass through the gastrointestinal tract, they are exposed to various enzyme systems and they are partly metabolized by the liver enzymes.  Also, some foods that we take may hinder proper absorption of some drugs.

2.  Induction of Nausea and vomiting:  The oral route of drug administration is one of the most triggers of nausea and vomiting and almost more than 90% of the drugs taken via this route, have a potential to induce vomiting.  This is because the vomiting center in the brain has some receptors in the gastrointestinal tract.

RELATED;

1.  FUNCTIONS OF THE LIVER

2.  BIOAVAILABILITY

3.  THE INTRAVENOUS ROUTE

4.  PHARMACOLOGY AND MEDICATIONS