title: Best practice when administering drugs by subcutaneous injection.
abstract: Drugs that require slow, sustained absorption are given subcutaneously. The medication is injected beneath the epidermis into the fat and connective tissue where there is less blood flow than in the underlying muscle. Absorption is most rapid from the abdomen, slower from the upper arm and slower still from the thigh, hip and buttock. The arm tends to be less painful but the abdomen is usually chosen because it has a thicker subcutaneous layer.