Enteral administration

Enteral administration involves the esophagus, stomach, and small and large intestines (i.e., the gastrointestinal tract).

Methods of administration include oral, sublingual (dissolving the drug under the tongue), and rectal.

Enteral administration may be divided into three different categories, depending on the entrance point into the GI tract: oral (by mouth), gastric (through the stomach), and rectal (from the rectum).

The rate at which this happens is largely determined by two factors: Ionization and lipid solubility.

Rectal administration is not subject to extensive first pass metabolism.