A preanesthetic agent (or preanaesthetic agent) is a drug that is given before the administration of an anesthetic to make anaesthesia more pleasant and safe.

This article needs more reliable medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. (February 2022)

Examples of preanesthetic agents are:

• Acepromazine^[1]
• atropine^[1]
• diazepam^[1]
• Scopolamine
• Opioid analgesics, such as morphine, pethidine and buprenorphine.

These drugs are used before the administration of an anesthetic to improve patient comfort, reduce possible side effects such as Postanesthetic shivering, relieve pain, and increase the effectiveness of the anesthetic.

• Premedication