ABSTRACT
References .......................................................................................................................... 144
The rectal route of drug administration has been used for many years because drugs may be
readily introduced and retained in the rectal cavity. Rectal administration may be a practical
alternative to oral administration when patients are prone to nausea, vomiting, convulsion,
and, in particular, disturbances of consciousness. Therefore, rectal administration has been
used to deliver many kinds of drugs such as anticonvulsants, analgesics (including narcotics),
antiemetics, antibacterial agents, anesthetics for children, and some anticancer agents. Rectal
drug delivery, on the one hand, is effective because of the extensive rectal vasculature and the
presence of lymphatic vessels in the rectal region. On the other hand, patient acceptability of
rectal administration is poor and drug absorption may be affected by defecation. Further
development and optimization of rectal drug formulations for clinical use may be expected in
the near future. Several reviews concerning rectal drug delivery and absorption have already
been published [1-4].
