Here are the key advantages and disadvantages of oral dosage forms:
Advantages:
- Ease of administration. Pills and tablets can be easily swallowed without much effort.
- Patient compliance. Oral medications are easy for patients to self-administer.
- Flexible dosage. A wide range of doses can be achieved with oral formulations.
- Stability. Many oral drugs are stable and have a long shelf life.
Disadvantages:
- First-pass metabolism. Orally administered drugs are subject to first-pass metabolism in the liver which can reduce bioavailability.
- GI irritation. Some drugs can cause gastrointestinal side effects like nausea.
- Inter-individual variability. Factors like diet