What is true of the enteric coating that is used for some drugs?

• A. It minimizes the metabolism of the drug in the liver.
• B. It makes the drug easier to swallow.
• C. It protects the drug from being inactivated in the stomach.
• D. It makes the drug more palatable.

Answer: (C)

Enteric coatings are designed to resist the acidic environment of the stomach and only dissolve when the tablet reaches the higher pH of the small intestine. This protects drugs that would be inactivated or degraded by stomach acid, ensuring the drug is released where it can be absorbed effectively. It can also reduce gastric irritation by keeping the drug from contacting the stomach lining. It isn’t about making swallowing easier or improving palatability, and it doesn’t directly change liver metabolism; first-pass metabolism occurs after absorption regardless of coating.