A REVIEW ON SEMISOLID TOPICAL PREPARATION

pharmacy

Already in ancient times, semisolid preparations for cutaneous application, popularly known as ointments, played an important role in human society. An advanced scientific investigation of “ointments” as dosage forms was set off in the late fifties of the previous century. It was only from then on that the intensive physico-chemical characterization of ointments as well as the inclusion of dermatological aspects led to a comprehensive understanding of the various interactions between the vehicle, the active ingredient, and the skin. In the meantime, many researchers have been involved in optimizing semisolid formulations with respect to continuously changing therapeutic and patient needs. Aspects that have been dealt with are the optimization of dermato-biopharmaceutical properties and many different issues related to patient’s compliance, such as skin tolerance, applicability, and cosmetic appeal. Moreover, processing technology has been improved and analytical techniques developed and refined in order to enable improved characterization of the formulation itself as well as its interaction with the skin.

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