Advantages and Disadvantages of One Drug to Treat Gastrointestinal System
Gastrointestinal
A digestive system is a group of organs which coordinate to break down food into tiny particles which can be easily be converted to energy and primary nutrients. The food passes through an elongated tube known as gastrointestinal tract or alimentary canal. Buccal and sublingual drugs have various advantages. They are quickly absorbed by the capillaries under the tongue without entering into the digestive system. Buccal and sublingual drugs are absorbed directly into the bloodstream. When one has trouble swallowing medication, buccal and sublingual forms of administration can be good alternatives as they do not need swallowing. Also, the drugs are not easily absorbed into the stomach. Therefore, digestion is not affected in any way. On the other hand, sublingual and buccal drugs have disadvantages. Activities such as eating, smoking and drinking can easily change how the drugs are absorbed into the gastrointestinal system and their efficiency. This form of administration is not suitable for drugs that require slow processing into the digestive system. Buccal and sublingual irritate sores in the patient's mouth due to their chemical components which reacts with saliva in the wound (Mignani, El Kazzouli, Bousmina, & Majoral, 2013).
The oral route is the most common ways of administering drugs. It is mostly used for the neutral types of drugs. It may be used in the gastrointestinal system in the forms tablets, capsules, and powders. It is very convenient and cheap. Most people use it because their safety is guaranteed. One of the disadvantages of oral administration is that most of the drug goes to waste as it does not reach the target tissues. A lot of the drugs taken orally are destroyed by acidic gastric juices such as insulin. It cannot be administered during emergencies as it heavily relies on absorption for the drug to take effect. Gastric irritation can be caused by the interaction of the drug with the system and its enzymes. Drugs containing iron may lead to discoloring of teeth (Mignani, El Kazzouli, Bousmina, & Majoral, 2013).
Drugs administered through the rectal route are usually either in solid form or liquid form, for example, the enema is mostly administered through this method. Unconscious or uncooperative people may force this route to be used. The rectal route can easily avoid vomiting and nausea. The drugs cannot be easily destroyed by enzymes, therefore, giving them a chance of reacting entirely and reaching target tissues. If a drug is known to be irritant, this route is the most preferred. Most people do not prefer this way making it unpopular. Another disadvantage is that they are systematic acting drugs which are rare and expensive. These drugs administered through the rectal route have a 50% first pass metabolism which can interfere with the gastrointestinal system (Jannin, Lemagnen, Gerould, Larrouture, & Tuleu, 2014)
References
Mignani, S., El Kazzouli, S., Bousmina, M., & Majoral, J. P. (2013). Expand classical drug administration ways by emerging routes using dendrimer drug delivery systems: a concise overview. Advanced drug delivery reviews, 65(10), 1316-1330.
Jannin, V., Lemagnen, G., Gerould, P., Larrouture, D., & Tuleu, C. (2014). Rectal route in the 21st century to treat children. Advanced drug delivery reviews, 73, 34-49.
