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Pharmacy & Pharmacology vocabulary · Routes of Administration

Route of administration

Meaning in pharmacy & pharmacology, with examples

nounCore term

In pharmacy & pharmacology, route of administration means: The way a medicine enters the body, for example by mouth, through the skin, by injection into a vein or muscle, or by breathing it in.

In Turkish: uygulama yolu, veriliş yolu

How it is used

A core idea in pharmaceutics and pharmacology, because the route affects how fast and how much of a drug acts. Prescriptions show it in short form: PO (by mouth), IV, IM, SC, PR (rectal) and SL (under the tongue). People often just say 'the route': 'What route is it given by?'

Example sentences

  1. The route of administration was changed from IV to oral once he could eat again.

  2. Always confirm the route of administration before you prepare an injection.

Common collocations

  • route of administration
  • oral route
  • change the route
  • parenteral route
  • oralTaken by mouth and swallowed, so that the medicine is absorbed through the digestive system; the most common route for medicines.
  • intravenousGiven directly into a vein, either as a quick injection or as a slow infusion, so that the medicine reaches the bloodstream at once.
  • intramuscularGiven by injection deep into a muscle, such as the upper arm, thigh or buttock, from where the medicine is absorbed into the blood.
  • subcutaneousGiven by injection into the fatty tissue just under the skin, from where the medicine is absorbed slowly into the blood.
  • topicalApplied directly to a part of the body, such as the skin, the eyes or the inside of the nose, usually to act at that place rather than throughout the body.

More terms: Routes of Administration

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.