Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (779 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Medicated dosage forms that are designed to be inserted into the rectal, vaginal, or urethral orifice of the body for absorption. Generally, the active ingredients are packaged in dosage forms containing fatty bases such as cocoa butter, hydrogenated oil, or glycerogelatin that are solid at room temperature but melt or dissolve at body temperature.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Vaginal Suppositories; Suppositories, Vaginal; Vaginal Suppository; Suppository, Vaginal; Rectal Suppositories; Suppositories, Rectal.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Dosage Forms
- See also
- Rectal Absorption
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 4,078 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Suppositories” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 153 of them (3.8%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 3,144 records.
Reviews account for 189 records (4.6%) and meta-analyses for 17. Randomized controlled trials number 509 (12.5%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up a comparatively large share of this literature, which means many treatment questions have been tested directly.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 3,144 |
| 2000-2009 | 442 |
| 2010-2019 | 339 |
| 2020 onward | 153 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 189 | 4.6% |
| Meta-analyses | 17 | 0.4% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 509 | 12.5% |
Method: PubMed query "Suppositories"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in drugs and chemicals
Studies of a chemical or drug can answer very different questions: what it is and how it behaves in cells and animals, how the body handles it, and whether it changes outcomes in people. Laboratory and animal findings often do not carry over to patients, and observational studies of exposures are confounded by who uses a substance and why. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to use, avoid, start or stop any substance or medicine; talk to a qualified clinician or pharmacist about your own situation. Check the dose, the species, the comparison group and whether a patient-relevant outcome was measured.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase I trial of a Lactobacillus crispatus vaginal suppository for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection in women | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial Design not recorded in structured metadata | 57 | cc by PMID 18288237 · DOI · PMC2216064 |
| Achievements in Thermosensitive Gelling Systems for Rectal Administration | 2021 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 25 | cc by PMID 34071110 · DOI · PMC8197127 |
| A qualitative study to identify community structures for management of severe malaria: a basis for introducing rectal artesunate in the under five years children in Nakonde District of Zambia | 2005 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 15 | cc by PMID 15792501 · DOI · PMC1079879 |
Phase I trial of a Lactobacillus crispatus vaginal suppository for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection in women [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- ObjectivesWe performed a phase I trial to assess the safety and tolerance of a Lactobacillus vaginal suppository for prevention of recurrent UTI.
- Closing excerpt
- Mild inflammation of the urinary tract was noted in some women.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (147 words)
ObjectivesWe performed a phase I trial to assess the safety and tolerance of a Lactobacillus vaginal suppository for prevention of recurrent UTI.MethodsPremenopausal women with a history of recurrent UTI were randomized to use L. crispatus CTV-05 or placebo vaginal suppositories daily for five days.Results30 women were randomized (15 to L. crispatus CTV-05). No severe adverse events occurred. Mild to moderate vaginal discharge and genital irritation were reported by women in both study arms. Seven women randomized to L. crispatus CTV-05 developed pyuria without associated symptoms. Most women had high concentrations of vaginal H202-producing lactobacilli before randomization. L. crispatus, L. jensenii, and L. gasseri were the most common Lactobacillus species identified, with stable prevalence over time.ConclusionsL. crispatus CTV-05 can be given as a vaginal suppository with minimal sideeffects to healthy women with a history of recurrent UTI. Mild inflammation of the urinary tract was noted in some women.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 18288237 · DOI · PMC2216064
Achievements in Thermosensitive Gelling Systems for Rectal Administration [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Rectal drug delivery is an effective alternative to oral and parenteral treatments.
- Closing excerpt
- Continued research and development in this field would undoubtedly further reveal the hidden potential of rectal drug delivery systems.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (191 words)
Rectal drug delivery is an effective alternative to oral and parenteral treatments. This route allows for both local and systemic drug therapy. Traditional rectal dosage formulations have historically been used for localised treatments, including laxatives, hemorrhoid therapy and antipyretics. However, this form of drug dosage often feels alien and uncomfortable to a patient, encouraging refusal. The limitations of conventional solid suppositories can be overcome by creating a thermosensitive liquid suppository. Unfortunately, there are currently only a few studies describing their use in therapy. However, recent trends indicate an increase in the development of this modern therapeutic system. This review introduces a novel rectal drug delivery system with the goal of summarising recent developments in thermosensitive liquid suppositories for analgesic, anticancer, antiemetic, antihypertensive, psychiatric, antiallergic, anaesthetic, antimalarial drugs and insulin. The report also presents the impact of various types of components and their concentration on the properties of this rectal dosage form. Further research into such formulations is certainly needed in order to meet the high demand for modern, efficient rectal gelling systems. Continued research and development in this field would undoubtedly further reveal the hidden potential of rectal drug delivery systems.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 34071110 · DOI · PMC8197127
A qualitative study to identify community structures for management of severe malaria: a basis for introducing rectal artesunate in the under five years children in Nakonde District of Zambia [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundMalaria is a serious illness among children aged 5 years and below in Zambia, which carries with it many adverse effects including anemia and high parasites exposure that lead to infant and childhood mortality.
- Closing excerpt
- Therefore rectal artesunate may be a well-received intervention in Nakonde District, provided effective sensitisation, to mothers and CHWs is given which will strengthen the health care delivery system at community level.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (441 words)
BackgroundMalaria is a serious illness among children aged 5 years and below in Zambia, which carries with it many adverse effects including anemia and high parasites exposure that lead to infant and childhood mortality. Due to poor accessibility to modern health facilities, malaria is normally managed at home using indigenous and cosmopolitan medicines. In view of problems and implications associated with management of severe malaria at home, rectal artesunate is being proposed as a first aid drug to slow down multiplication of parasites in children before accessing appropriate treatment.MethodsA qualitative study using standardised in-depth and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) guides to collect information from four (4) villages in Nakonde district, was conducted between February and March 2004. The guides were administered on 29 key informants living in the community and those whose children were admitted in the health facility. Participants in the 12 FGDs came from the 4 participating villages. Participants and key informants were fathers, younger and older mothers including grandmothers and other influential people at household level. Others were traditional healers, headmen, village secretaries, traditional birth attendants, church leaders and blacksmiths. FGDs and interview transcriptions were coded to identify common themes that were related to recognition, classification and naming of malaria illness, care-seeking behaviour and community treatment practices for severe malaria.ResultsParental prior knowledge of the disease was important as the majority of informants (23 out of 29) and participants (69 out of 97) mentioned four combined symptoms that were used to recognise severe malaria. The symptoms were excessive body hotness, convulsions, vomiting yellow things and bulging of the fontanelle. On the other hand, all informants mentioned two or more of symptoms associated with severe malaria. In all 12 FGDs, participants reported that treatment of severe malaria commenced with the family and moved into the community as the illness progressed. Although treatment of severe diarrheal effects, were common among the Winamwanga, no rectal medicines to treat severe malaria were identified. Apart from the anti-malarial fansidar, which was mentioned by 23 in IDIs and 40 in FGDs, participants and informants also frequently mentioned indigenous medicines provided by healers and other respectable herbalists for repelling evil spirits, once a child had severe malaria. Mothers were the important arms for administration of ant-malarial drugs in the villages. Referrals began with healers to CHWs, where no CHWs existed healers directly referred sick children to the health facility.ConclusionOur findings showed that there is a precedent for rectal application of traditional medicine for childhood illness. Therefore rectal artesunate may be a well-received intervention in Nakonde District, provided effective sensitisation, to mothers and CHWs is given which will strengthen the health care delivery system at community level.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 15792501 · DOI · PMC1079879
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Advances in rectal drug delivery systems [4]
- Research article Designing and developing suppository formulations for anti-HIV drug delivery [5]
- Research article Management of bowel problems in older people: an update [6]
- Research article The suppository form of antibiotic administration: pharmacokinetics and clinical application [7]
- Research article [Ano-rectal and colonic complications of suppositories and enemas] [8]
- Research article Enemas, suppositories and rectal stimulation are not effective in accelerating enteral feeding or meconium evacuation in low-birthweight infants: a systematic review [9]
References
- Czaja CA, Stapleton AE, Yarova-Yarovaya Y, Stamm WE. Phase I trial of a Lactobacillus crispatus vaginal suppository for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection in women. . 2007. PMID 18288237 · DOI · PMC2216064
- Bialik M, Kuras M, Sobczak M, Oledzka E. Achievements in Thermosensitive Gelling Systems for Rectal Administration. . 2021. PMID 34071110 · DOI · PMC8197127
- Kaona FA, Tuba M. A qualitative study to identify community structures for management of severe malaria: a basis for introducing rectal artesunate in the under five years children in Nakonde District of Zambia. . 2005. PMID 15792501 · DOI · PMC1079879
- Purohit TJ, Hanning SM, Wu Z. Advances in rectal drug delivery systems. Pharm Dev Technol. 2018. PMID 29888992 · DOI
- Ham AS, Buckheit RW. Designing and developing suppository formulations for anti-HIV drug delivery. Ther Deliv. 2017. PMID 28825395 · DOI · PMC6123880
- Potter J, Wagg A. Management of bowel problems in older people: an update. Clin Med (Lond). 2005. PMID 16011223 · DOI · PMC4952217
- Bergogne-Bérézin E, Bryskier A. The suppository form of antibiotic administration: pharmacokinetics and clinical application. J Antimicrob Chemother. 1999. PMID 11252322 · DOI
- de Parades V, Sultan S, Bauer P. [Ano-rectal and colonic complications of suppositories and enemas]. Gastroenterol Clin Biol. 1996. PMID 8761142
- Kamphorst K, Sietsma Y, Brouwer AJ, Rood PJ, van den Hoogen A. Enemas, suppositories and rectal stimulation are not effective in accelerating enteral feeding or meconium evacuation in low-birthweight infants: a systematic review. Acta Paediatr. 2016. PMID 27506482 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.