a composition for enhancing absorption of a pharmaceutical which may have poor oral bioavailability , which composition has surprisingly little cytotoxicity , is provided which is in the form of a liquid or semi - solid or solid containing an admixture a mucoadhesive polymer which is a polyacrylic acid polymer , preferably carbopol 971p , and an absorption or permeation enhancer which preferably is l - α - lyso - phosphatidylcholine , and which composition is free of polysaccharides . a method for improving bioavailability of a drug which has poor absorption properties is also provided wherein the above bioadhesive composition is administered with said pharmaceutical to the mucosal membrane of the gi tract , nose , oral cavity , sublingual , buccal , and vaginal mucosa . a method for reducing the cytotoxic effect of an absorption enhancer such as lpc is also provided wherein a mucoadhesive polymer as described above is administered with the lpc to a patient in need of treatment .