What does sublingual administration involve?

Sublingual administration involves placing medication under the tongue. This method allows the drug to dissolve and be absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the tissues in the mouth. Because this route bypasses the digestive system and the first-pass metabolism in the liver, it can lead to a quicker onset of action compared to oral medications that are swallowed. This method is beneficial for medications that need to act quickly or when a patient is unable to swallow pills.

The other options describe different routes of administration that do not pertain to sublingual delivery: injecting into the muscle refers to intramuscular administration, administering through the skin relates to transdermal delivery, and swallowing medication whole is characteristic of standard oral administration. Each of these methods has its own specific indications and modes of action, differing significantly from the sublingual route.