Depot injection

Depot injections can have a duration of action of one month or greater and are available for many types of drugs, including antipsychotics and hormones.

Many are dissolved in an organic oil, as the compound is lipophilic due to the addition of functional groups to provide slow action.

[4] Most commonly, depot injections are designed to have a duration of 2–4 weeks of action,[5] however the pharmacokinetics of a specific formulation vary.

[5] Repeated administration of depot injections can lead to a half life over one month (as in some preparations of fluphenazine), but this can be variable in different patients.

[12] Self-administered depot injections are used to increase healthcare access and decrease the need to visit the doctor as frequently, especially in low and middle income countries.