A theoretical consideration of percutaneous drug absorption.

The percutaneous drug absorption process and its clinical significance are not fully known. In this article we propose a theoretical method to obtain two parameters (kd and kc) of percutaneous drug absorption from in vivo data. These parameters are related to diffusion of a drug through the skin and removal process at the skin-capillary boundary, respectively, characterizing several pharmacokinetic aspects of the drug applied to the skin. Moreover, by employing these two kinetic constants, a simulation of percutaneous drug absorption can be theoretically generated. On the basis of our theoretical considerations on the percutaneous drug absorption process described herein, we conclude that the percutaneous drug absorption process is better understood by employing two kinetic constants in a mathematical model and that its clinical application would be highly possible.