Rectal Device Enables Easy Medication Administration

A rectal device offers a discrete and comfortable route for giving drugs and liquids, particularly for patients with serious or terminal illness who often lose the ability to swallow.

The Macy Catheter is a Silicone-based disposable device, which once placed by a clinician, rests on a patient's leg or abdomen where it is easily accessible for repeat administration of liquids and medications. The device is comprised of a dual port, dual lumen, ballooned tube that is inserted in the rectum until just past the rectal sphincter, where the retention balloon is inflated (via the balloon inflation port) to hold the device in place.


The medication port is specifically designed to be compatible only with oral and enteral connectors, reducing the probability of connection errors. The medication port also features a valve to prevent leakage, and it is designed to be non-clogging. The Macy Catheter is designed to expel with defecation, since it is smaller and softer than typical stool in the rectum, or it can be easily removed prior to a patient’s bowel movement. The Macy Catheter is a product of Hospi (Newark, CA, USA), and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Rectal administration is a fast, safe and highly effective route of delivery for many medications, especially those used for management of symptoms at the end of life; however, it is often under-utilized in hospice due to the discomfort and embarrassment associated with suppository administration,” said Brad Macy, RN, inventor of the Macy Catheter and co-founder of Hospi. “The Macy Catheter transforms rectal delivery of medication by providing a comfortable and discreet way to administer ongoing medications and liquids without repeated invasion of privacy and suppository administration.”

Although initially the Macy Catheter is intended to be used primarily to manage symptoms for the approximately 1.65 million patients in US hospices each year, the company sees broad applicability for the device whenever a patient has a compromised oral route, such as due to severe nausea and vomiting. Additional relevant market segments include palliative care, home health, skilled nursing, and acute care.

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