Buccal and Sublingual Drug Administration
Certain drugs are given buccally or sublingually to prevent their destruction or transformation in the stomach or small intestine. These drugs act quickly because the oral mucosa’s thin epithelium and abundant vasculature allow direct absorption into the bloodstream. Drugs given buccally include nitroglycerin and methyltestosterone; drugs given sublingually include ergotamine tartrate, isosorbide dinitrate, and nitroglycerin.
Equipment
Patient’s medication record and chart ▪ prescribed medication ▪ medication cup.
Implementation
Verify the order on the patient’s medication record by checking it against the doctor’s order on his chart.1,2
Confirm the patient’s identity using at least two patient identifiers according to your facility’s policy.6
If your facility uses a bar code scanning system, be sure to scan your ID badge, the patient’s ID bracelet, and the medication’s bar code.
Explain the procedure to the patient if he’s never taken a drug buccally or sublingually before.
Check the label on the medication three times before administering it to make sure you’ll be giving the prescribed medication. Verify the expiration date of all medications, especially nitroglycerin.7
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