neomycin erythromycin tetracycline iicl chlortetracycline hcl chloramphenicol oxytetracycline polymyxin b nitrofuraxone mafenide u03b1 amino p toluenesulfonamide hexachlorophene benzalkonium chloride cetalkonium chloride methylbenzethonium chloride and neomycin sulfate it will be appreciated with regard to the aforesaid list of drugs that characterization of the drug as either 34 systemically or topically 34 active is done for purposes of convenience only further a given drug can be both systemically and topically active depending upon its manner of use variation of which will be apparent to those of ordinary skill for example sub therapeutic systemic levels of drugs can still be utilized for a topical effect this is especially so when systemic dosing is rate limited by the skin and a flux enhancer is advantageously used to obtain a proper systemic dose in addition to the aforementioned drugs simple pharmacologically acceptable derivatives of the drugs such as ethers esters amides acetals salts etc or formulations of these drugs having the desired polymeric permeability or transport properties can be prepared and used in practicing the invention drugs mentioned above can be used alone or in combination with others and each other of course the derivatives should be such as to convert to the active drugs within the body through the action of body enzyme assisted transformations ph etc the instant invention will be more clearly understood from the following examples which are of an exemplary nature only and do not limit the scope of the invention transdermal patches having nitroglycerin as the active agent were prepared as follows the adhesive was pattern.