The influence of food on the absorption of diclofenac as determined by the urinary excretion of the unchanged drug and its major metabolites during chronic administration.

Six healthy subjects took diclofenac as an enteric-coated preparation twice daily for 17 days under the following conditions: (i) fasting, (ii) 15 min before a meal, and (iii) immediately after a meal. Urine specimens were collected on two separate days of each regimen and diclofenac and its total monohydroxylated metabolites measured. Statistical analysis of the excretion of diclofenac and its metabolites showed that, during chronic administration, absorption was not significantly influenced by dosing before or after food. The absorption pattern after both these modes of administration was comparable to that obtained under fasting conditions.