What do you mean by different routes of administration?

Different routes of administration mean that drugs enter the body in different ways, which are mainly divided into oral administration, injection, subcutaneous injection, intramuscular injection, intravenous injection, patch and so on. Different routes of administration have important effects on the action, absorption and metabolism of drugs, and also cause different loads and reactions to patients' bodies.

The advantages and disadvantages of different routes of administration are mainly reflected in the time, speed, effect and side effects of drugs. Oral administration is the most commonly used way of administration, which has the advantages of convenience and easy dosage control, but its absorption speed is slow and its efficacy is not fast enough. Injection can quickly treat diseases, but it has great physical load on patients and obvious side effects. Patch administration can better control the dosage and action time, but for patients who are not suitable for oral administration or injection, patch administration may not be applicable.

Different diseases and symptoms require different routes of administration. For example, the common cold needs oral drugs to relieve symptoms, while acute sudden diseases may need intravenous injection or intramuscular injection to take effect quickly. For some patients who have chronic diseases or need long-term treatment, continuous medication is needed. At this time, oral administration or patch administration can be selected. Therefore, when taking drugs, doctors need to make a comprehensive evaluation according to the patient's condition and individual differences, and choose the most suitable route of administration for patients.