ABSTRACT The skin barrier function has been attributed to the stratum corneum and represents a major challenge in clinical practice pertaining to cutaneous administration of drugs. Despite this, a large number of bioactive compounds have been successfully administered via cutaneous administration because of advances in the design of topical and transdermal formulations. In vitro and in vivo evaluations of these novel drug delivery systems are necessary to characterize their quality and efficacy. This review covers the most well-known methods for assessing the cutaneous absorption of drugs as an auxiliary tool for pharmaceutical formulation scientists in the design of drug delivery systems. In vitro methods as skin permeation assays using Franz-type diffusion cells, cutaneous retention and tape-stripping methods to study the cutaneous penetration of drugs, and in vivo evaluations as pre-clinical pharmacokinetic studies in animal models are discussed. Alternative approaches to cutaneous microdialysis are also covered. Recent advances in research on skin absorption of drugs and the effect of skin absorption enhancers, as investigated using confocal laser scanning microscopy, Raman confocal microscopy, and attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, are reviewed.

O polimorfismo em sólidos é um fenômeno frequente em fármacos e pode levar a problemas na qualidade dos medicamentos por alterar suas propriedades físico-químicas, em especial a solubilidade e, consequentemente, a biodisponibilidade. Nesse trabalho realizou-se levantamento bibliográfico sobre os principais estudos e problemas relacionados ao polimorfismo em fármacos presentes nos medicamentos disponibilizados pela Farmácia Popular do Brasil. O polimorfismo deve ser controlado a fim de evitar possível ineficácia terapêutica e/ou dosagem inapropriada dos medicamentos. Destacamos que são poucos os ensaios obrigatórios para identificação e controle desse fenômeno em medicamentos, o que pode acarretar grande problema de saúde pública.

Polymorphism in solids is a common phenomenon in drugs, which can lead to compromised quality due to changes in their physicochemical properties, particularly solubility, and, therefore, reduce bioavailability. Herein, a bibliographic survey was performed based on key issues and studies related to polymorphism in active pharmaceutical ingredient (APIs) present in medications from the Farmácia Popular Rede Própria. Polymorphism must be controlled to prevent possible ineffective therapy and/or improper dosage. Few mandatory tests for the identification and control of polymorphism in medications are currently available, which can result in serious public health concerns.