Suppository

A suppository is a dosage form used to deliver medications by insertion into a body orifice where it dissolves or melts to exert local or systemic effects. There are three types of suppositories, each to insert into a different sections: Rectal suppositories into the rectum, vaginal suppositories into the vagina, and urethral suppositories into the urethra of a male.

Composition[]

Several different ingredients can be used to form the base of a suppository: cocoa butter or a similar substitute, polyethylene glycol, hydrogels, and glycerinated gelatin. The type of material used depends on the type of suppository, the type of drug, and the conditions in which the suppository will be stored.^[1]

Rectal suppositories[]

Glycerin suppositories (laxative)

In 1991, a study on suppository insertion in The Lancet found that the "torpedo" shape helps the device to travel internally, increasing its efficacy.^[2] The findings of this single study have been challenged as there is insufficient evidence on which to base clinical practice.^[3]

Four 500 mg paracetamol suppositories

Urethral suppositories[]

Alprostadil pellets are urethral suppositories used for the treatment of severe erectile dysfunction. They are marketed under the name Muse in the United States of America.^[4] Its use has diminished since the development of oral impotence medications.

See also[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Suppository (category)

• Artesunate suppositories
• Enema
• Pessary

Notes[]

References[]

• Doyle, D., "Per Rectum: A History of Enemata", Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Vol.35, No.4, (December 2005), pp. 367–370.
• Payer, L., "Borderline Cases: How Medical Practice Reflects National Culture", The Sciences, Vol.30, No.4, (July–August 1990), pp. 38–42.