Pharmacology Medical Terminology Corner 

The Merck Manual is a wonderful resource that you should save. 

This page has an excellent explanation of routes as well as visual for the different types of injections which include the abbreviations. 

Everyone should have a working knowledge of the terminology used for personal medications that may be prescribed. Health care workers need to know this as well for patients. Patient needs related to pharmacological therapies are endless and as the point-of-care health professional, you may very well be that person. 

Medications are given by routes. Unlike driving routes by road, in this case routes refer to the part of the body used to get the drug in. Indeed, every single body orifice you know about (and a few you probably do not know about) can be used to administer a medication. It is vital that medications are given by the proper route, an incorrect route will certainly render the medication ineffective and may very well cause harm. 

Route usually have to do with the chemical structure of the compound. Some drugs cannot pass through the acidic environment of the stomach, for instance, others require assistance from another body system, and sometimes we just want the medication to get to the proper area quickly. 

While the standard (and needed for Pharmacy Technicians and Pharmacists) is the; 

Route of Administration published by the FDA, this long and complex list which includes the medical term and abbreviation can be overwhelming at first. 

An excellent video is found at; PHARMACOLOGY; ROUTES OF DRUG ADMINISTRATION by Professor Fink. If you are interested. It is optional. 

Example: Oral By mouth po per os 

Outline the major medication administration routes with their medication terms and abbreviations. 

Include the following aspects in the discussion: 

 Use the following list: 

oral, 

intravenous, 

intramuscular, 

intrathecal, 

subcutaneous, 

sublingual, 

buccal, 

rectally, 

vaginal, 

ocular, 

otic, 

nasal, 

nebulization, 

transdermal, and 

cutaneous 

 Example: Oral By mouth po per os 

 Add an example of a medication that may be given by the route 

 Make a simple chart for this 

 Cite any references. 

Copy and pasting is not allowed. Always use your own words.