Background The oral route of administration for drugs is often unavailable for several reasons. These difficulties often require placement of an enteral feeding tube (EFT) to supply nutritional support and pharmacological treatment. A Guide for the Administration of Drugs through Enteral Feeding Tubes (GADEFT) aims to provide clear and easily accessible information for the general and standard rules on how to select, manipulate and administrate drugs.

Purpose Analysis of the data obtained from elaboration of a GADEFT for drugs included in a pharmacotherapeutic guide (PG) of a tertiary hospital.

Material and methods Drugs administered through EFT were collected from the recently updated PG. For each active ingredient (AI) and pharmaceutical form (PF) the following bibliography was reviewed: other guides, summaries of products characteristics, databases, specialised books and publications. Laboratories were also consulted when no information was found on the previous alternatives. We collected: AI; brand name; PF; possibility of administration via a nasogastric tube (NGT); percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG); nasoenteric tube (NET) (including nasoduodenal and nasojejunal tubes) and percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy (PEJ); stability of the manipulated drug; alternative drug available; drug–food/enteral nutrition interactions; manipulating instructions according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) list; relevant information; and pharmaceutical laboratory and bibliographic references where the data were cited. In the event of disparity, the most recent bibliography and the one with the greatest scientific weight were selected.

Results 654 records were obtained, 537 different AI. 64 requests for information were made to laboratories. 22.3% (146/654) must not be administered via NGT and PEG, mainly due to manipulation of the PF. We did not obtain enough information about administration through EFT in 30.1% (44/146). It was not possible to recommend an alternative drug in 67.7% (96/146). Of the total records, there was no information on the stability of manipulated drugs in 88% and data supported the possibility of administering drugs via NET and PEJ in only 4.4%.

Conclusion A GADEFT increases the quality of the health assistance as well as the safety of patients and health professionals. However, more studies are needed on stability and administration via NET and PEJ.

References and/or acknowledgements Pharmacy service.

No conflict of interest