What R the fastest or best drug delivery technologies out there and why so?!
Question: drug delivery includes hypodermic needles,oral pills,transdermal patches and so on.
Answers: drug delivery includes hypodermic needles,oral pills,transdermal patches and so on.
Each have their pro's and con's.
Intravenous Injection - Best bioavailability and often fastest onset of action due to direct administration into the bloodstream. However, requires intravenous route i.e. cannula (which can take time and requires skin prep, tourniquet and cannula).
Most predictable absorption kinetics.
Intramuscular Injection - Often good bioavailability, but not as fast. Absorption kinetics unpredictable. However, does not require IV cannula.
Subcutaneous Injection - Often good bioavailability, but not as fast. Absorption kinetics unpredictable. However, does not require IV cannula.
Oral - Convenient route. In most western countries this is the "expected" route - patients expect to be able to have a pill or capsule or tablet. Most drugs have less bioavailability due to incomplete absorption from the GIT or perhaps from first pass metabolism.
Topical-transdermal - slow delivery requiring special preparation to enter skin (which is designed to keep stuff out) - useful for slow delivery long acting medications.
Topical-inhaled - rapid delivery of medications to lungs (eg. beta-agonists or inhaled corticosteroids). Benefit of direct topical treatment for lung medications, with less systemic absorption. NB this is a possible route for emergency drugs if IV access should prove difficult (e.g. nebulised or endotracheal adrenaline in paediatric/emergency settings respectively)
Sublingual - rapid absorption of specific drugs, often faster than IM or SC - bypasses first pass metabolism! - only useful for some drugs, e.g. GTN
Intranasal - rapid absorption of specific drugs, often faster than IM or SC - bypasses first pass metabolism! - used occasionally for paediatric sedation or analgesia
Rectal - relatively fast absorption of certain drugs. Incomplete bioavailability due to first pass metabolism. Socially unpleasant in certain countries. Socially acceptable in others. Useful in the vomiting child, as parents do not have to give injection but can give rectal paracetamol (acetaminophen) suppository.
Few other routes (vaginal, topical to eye, ear, nose) usually for specific complaints and deliver the medication directly to site of action.
What's best? Well - it all depends on what condition you have to treat, what the patient is like and what they expect of you. Children and needlephobic patients might not be best treated by intravenous medication.