Rheological Behaviour of Some Gels Based on Diclofenac

The delivery of pharmaceuticals to the skin is possible using two methods: topical and transdermal. In the context of topical administration, the drug is intended to act at the skin level, and it is commonly employed in the treatment of skin diseases. Transdermal administration achieves systemic delivery, when the skin is a barrier, not a target. The objective of the present study is to characterize the rheological behavior of drug carriers in topical administration. To this aim, the rheological measurements of several commercial diclofenac containing gels were performed. The present study demonstrates the application of rheological measurements in the characterization of pharmaceutical products. The viscoelastic properties could be successfully correlated with the end-use properties, such as applicability, processing behavior, storage, and thermal stability.