orally

Orally is an adverb that denotes action performed by way of the mouth. In medical and everyday use, it describes intake or administration through the gastrointestinal tract, typically by swallowing. The term derives from the adjective oral, which relates to the mouth.

In pharmacology and medicine, administer orally means the drug or nutrient is taken by mouth rather than by injection or other routes. Common oral dosage forms include tablets, capsules, liquids, syrups, and suspensions. Absorption generally occurs in the small intestine and is influenced by factors such as gastric emptying, pH, and the presence of food. Many drugs undergo first-pass metabolism in the liver, which can reduce their bioavailability and affect onset and duration of effect. Some substances are poorly absorbed orally or are degraded by stomach acid or digestive enzymes, making non-oral routes more appropriate.

Advantages of oral administration include convenience, safety for self-administration, and cost-effectiveness. It is non-invasive and suitable for routine, chronic therapy. Limitations include variability in absorption between individuals, potential GI irritation, interactions with meals, and the inability to use during vomiting or unconsciousness. For drugs that are not well absorbed orally or are inactivated by digestion, alternatives such as sublingual, buccal, transdermal, or parenteral routes may be used.

Orally is also used more broadly to refer to things spoken rather than written, such as an oral report or an oral examination, as well as to vaccines that are administered by mouth (where applicable) rather than by injection.