Topical

In medicine, a topical medication is applied to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes, for example the vagina, penis, throat, eyes and ears.

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Some hydrophobic chemicals such as steroid hormones can be absorbed into the body after being applied to the skin in the form of a cream, gel or lotion. Transdermal patches have become a popular means of administering some drugs for birth control, hormone replacement therapy, and prevention of motion sickness.

In dentistry, a topical medication may also mean one that is applied to the surface of teeth.

Chloramphenicol is an example of an antibiotic that may be used topically.

References

• Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics
• Dr. David Edwards - Dentistry Microbiology Lecture series