ABSTRACT
Intravenous administration of drugs is the route of choice in several cases. For example, when the patient is unconscious or cannot retain anything administered orally or when an acute treatment is necessary, intravenous administration may be the only possibility. Furthermore, for a range of substances which are poorly absorbed when given orally, e.g., as a consequence of their degradation in the gastrointestinal tract or poor uptake due to their physicochemical properties, parenteral administration is a direct way of administration, despite the somewhat limited patient compliance.
