self-administer

verb

self-ad·​min·​is·​ter ˌself-əd-ˈmi-nə-stər How to pronounce self-administer (audio)
self-administered; self-administering; self-administers

transitive + intransitive

: to administer (something, such as a drug) to oneself
can self-administer the drug with an inhaler
allowed to self-administer the test
Those regulations … also state that only a school nurse can apply medications, but exemptions exist that allow students in some cases to self-administer according to district guidelines.Jennifer Bogdan

Examples of self-administer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
These would include confirmation of a patient's mental competence, assessment by two independent doctors and likely a requirement for drugs to be self-administered. Harriet Marsden, theweek, 16 Oct. 2024 Acupressure doesn’t require needles and can be self-administered for immediate stress relief, for example. Michelle Pugle, Verywell Health, 26 Sep. 2024 Previously, people who needed epinephrine needed to get injections from a healthcare professional or to self-administer the drug with an EpiPen. Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 12 Aug. 2024 Dosing errors came as a result of people measuring and self-administering incorrect amounts, and health care providers miscalculating doses of the cheaper, compounded versions of weight-loss drugs like Wegovy, the agency said Friday in an alert. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 29 July 2024 The February petition stated that Wilson has been taking medication for dementia and is incapable of self-administering medicine and sticking to his medication schedule. Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024 Patients self-administer hormone injections to stimulate egg production, and medical staff retrieve mature eggs from ovaries, place them in petri dishes and fertilize them with sperm. Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024 In a statement, a DOC spokesperson noted that some medications are administered by staff, while others are supposed to be self-administered by the prisoner. Journal Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2024 Although these treatments can be done at a dermatology or plastic surgeon’s office, some people self-administer this treatment using devices designed for this purpose. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-administer was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near self-administer

Cite this Entry

“Self-administer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-administer. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

self-administer

transitive verb
self-ad·​min·​i·​ster -əd-ˈmi-nə-stər How to pronounce self-administer (audio)
: to administer (as a drug) to oneself
self-administered an analgesic
self-administration noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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