How opiate is been administered?

Answer 1

There are several ways an opiate may be introduced into a patient's body:

1. The most common way is by ingestion, usually by swallowing a tablet or a capsule, but sometimes an aqueous solution of the opiate is drunk.

2. Some opiates enter a patient's bloodstream by being absorbed from a patch worn on the skin. This type of administration is called transdermal absorption.

3. There is another, albeit very similar, way an opiate, is absorbed through an outer layer of cells and into the bloodstream. In this second way, an opiate is absorbed through the nose, cheeks, gums, and, to a lesser degree, the roof of the mouth. The outer layers of these places are mucous membranes, therefore this way of getting an opiate into the blood is called transmucosal absorption.

4. The quickest method is intravenously (IV), a method normally reserved for patients in hospitals or clinics.

5. Opiates may be administered by injection, either subcutaneously (just under the skin), or intramuscularly (directly into the muscle).