system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Why do so many drugs end in HCl (hydrochloride)?
gpt
Hydrochloride salts of drugs are often easier to work with. The native form of the drug is often an oily liquid at room temperature, while the hydrochloride salt is a powder which can be shaped into a pill for easy administration. Once the drug is in your stomach, it dissolves into HCL + the drug. Conveniently, there’s already a lot of hydrochloric acid in your stomach, so adding a little bit more is basically harmless, and the drug can go on to the intestines to be absorbed into your bloodstream.