The present invention refers to a pharmaceutical composition suitable for the transdermal or transmucosal administration of one or more active agents, in form of a gel or a solution, comprising as a permeation enhancers a combination of: a) saturated fatty alcohol of formula CH.sub.3--(CH.sub.2).sub.n--CH.sub.2OH or saturated fatty acid CH.sub.3--(CH.sub.2).sub.n--CH.sub.2COOH wherein n is an integer number 8/22, preferably 8/12, most preferably 10, or unsaturated fatty alcohol or fatty acid of formula: CH.sub.3(C.sub.nH.sub.2(n-1))--OH or CH.sub.3(C.sub.nH.sub.2(n-1))--COOH wherein n is an integer number 8/22, b) a ternary vehicle or carrier consisting of a C.sub.1/C.sub.4 alkanol, a polyalcohol in particular propylenglycol and water, c) optionally also a monoalkylether of diethylenglycol.