Administering rectal suppositories: Preparation, assessment and insertion

This series is designed for the nursing professional as a review of the key clinical skills necessary for patient care, clearly presenting common clinical procedures and their rationale, together with the essential background theory. In this ninth article in the series, the use of suppositories as a method of administering other drugs rectally within a base preparation is considered (Homan, 2002). Rectal suppositories are ideal for local or systemic treatment as the rectal mucosa has a blood and lymph supply that is capable of systemic absorption (Kyle, 2009). Best practice in pre-administration digital rectal examination and insertion of suppositories will be outlined.