Medical Terminology – Week 6 Assignment

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.

https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/drugs/administration-and-kinetics-of-drugs/drug-administration
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:

o oral,

o intravenous,

o intramuscular,

o intrathecal,

o subcutaneous,

o sublingual,

o buccal,

o rectally,

o vaginal,

o ocular,

o otic,

o nasal,

o nebulization,

o transdermal, and

o 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.