YOU Asked. We Answered!
No one likes getting shots! If you or a loved one are prescribed insulin or some other self-injectable medication, you might wonder why can’t you just take a pill instead!
There are many different types of injections, but in today’s blog, we will focus on injections you administer on yourself or on a loved one.
In order for a medicine to be useful in pill form, it needs to:
- Be small enough to get through the stomach and intestinal lining
- Not be destroyed by stomach acid
If one or both features are not met, the medicine will not be able to do its job.
For example, since insulin is a protein hormone, if taken in pill form, it will get digested in the stomach long before it reaches the bloodstream where it is needed. Therefore, insulin is injected rather than taken as a pill.
Will there ever be an alternative to self-injections?
The good news is that scientists are constantly looking for new ways to improve the way medications are administered. For example, an inhaled form of insulin, Afrezza, is currently on the market. Moreover, Rybelsus (semaglutide) is the first oral GLP1-Agonist to hit the market. Rybelsus is used to improve blood sugar in adult patients with type 2 diabetes, along with diet and exercise.
This is great news! But your doctor may not switch you to these medications yet, since you may not be the right candidate for such medications. But hopefully, this will change in the future.
At Alma Health, our patients are provided with training and tips to make self-injection easier. We also provide them and their families with the most up-to-date information about new medicines and breakthrough innovations.
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