This document discusses drug absorption, including definitions, mechanisms, and factors influencing absorption. It covers three main mechanisms of absorption - transcellular, paracellular, and endocytosis. Pharmaceutical factors like solubility and dosage forms as well as patient factors like age, disease states, and gastrointestinal contents can impact drug absorption. Non-oral routes of administration like buccal, rectal, pulmonary provide advantages over oral routes by bypassing the gastrointestinal tract and liver metabolism, allowing for more rapid and complete drug absorption.