What is the term for the administration of a drug that involves an injection bypassing the stomach?

The term for the administration of a drug that involves an injection bypassing the stomach is parenteral. This method includes various routes of administration such as intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous injections, allowing the medication to enter the bloodstream directly. By bypassing the gastrointestinal tract, parenteral administration can provide rapid onset of action and greater bioavailability for certain medications that might be degraded in the stomach or not effectively absorbed when taken orally.

In contrast, oral administration involves taking medication by mouth, which does involve the stomach and can delay the medication's effects due to digestion. Topical administration refers to applying medications directly to the skin or mucous membranes, where they are absorbed locally. Transdermal delivery involves applying a drug through the skin using patches, allowing for systematic absorption but still requires initial penetration through the skin barrier. Therefore, parenteral is the correct term as it specifically denotes the direct injection route that avoids the digestive system altogether.