Why would you want to use a suppository over a pill, shot, lotion, etc?
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Shots are not easy for people to administer themselves (in a safe and not too painful manner). Most people can do it but it requires a bit of training. Also the needles require special packaging and disposal.
Lotions can only deliver medication *topically*, i.e. at a particular location. Not all medication is suitable to be taken this way, especially if the goal is for it to enter the bloodstream and circulate widely in the body. Only small particles can pass through the skin, so some drugs simply can’t be taken up this way. Also, some drugs might break down in the environment presented by human skin. Lotions specifically aren’t great if dosage is important (as it’s harder to control), and there’s also a risk that you inadvertently absorb the drug through your hands, that you spread the drug to other surfaces (e.g. you might accidentally ingest it if you touch your food after applying the lotion, or you might even cause someone else to do so), or that the lotion rubs off before the medication has run its course. For these reasons, a patch is typically preferred if the medication is supposed to pass through the skin (as opposed to working only on the skin itself), as this is much easier to control.
Pills (or generally oral delivery) are often the most convenient way to deliver a drug into the bloodstream, and so suppositories are often preferred only when that isn’t a good option. One common scenario is when administering medication to small children who have trouble swallowing pills or are too young to follow instructions to do so. Trying to mix it into their food or bottle is another option of course, but that does require that they then finish the whole portion, and some medication has an unpleasant taste that children may refuse to ingest. Doing this can be a lengthy and frustrating (and ultimately unsuccessful) process for both the child and the caregiver. Much easier then to just administer a suppository.
Another scenario is if the person has trouble swallowing, or keeping their food down, or is suffering from other gastro-intestinal issues that complicate the delivery or absorption of the drug when taken by mouth. Suppositories may also be used on patients who are unconscious or uncooperative.
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