Which of the following is an example of parenteral administration?

• A. Intravenous
• B. Oral
• C. Sublingual
• D. Rectal

Answer: (A)

Parenteral administration means delivering medicine by routes that do not involve the gastrointestinal tract. The intravenous route fits this exactly because it injects directly into a vein, placing the drug into the bloodstream right away and bypassing the digestive system entirely.

In contrast, oral administration must travel through the mouth into the GI tract, which is the defining feature of enteral routes. Sublingual administration, while it bypasses the GI tract, is typically treated as a mucosal route rather than a parenteral one, and rectal administration, though it can be absorbed quickly, is still considered enteral because it involves the rectal mucosa within the GI tract.