Why inject Medication

Intramuscular and Subcutaneous Injection Technique

Why Injections?

Whilst the gastrointestinal tract is the ideal route for most medications it has some distinct disadvantages including; slow variable absorption and the ability to inactivate (digest) some medications.

Advantages of administration by injection include:

Intramuscular and Subcutaneous Injection Technique for:

• Rapid action
• Drug may not be available in oral form
• Patient is ‘nil by mouth’
• Some drugs are destroyed by the digestive processes in the stomach, e.g. insulin
• Able to administer long acting (depot) medications for maintenance therapy, e.g. contraception (Depo-provera) and antipsychotics (Modecate)
• Selecting drug route helps to optimise therapy (i.e. able to control absorption rates)