The fundamental purpose of hospice is to help patients retain comfort, dignity and quality of life as they approach the end of life. During this stage, nausea and vomiting — either caused by medication side effects or from symptoms of a disease — are common. These and other side effects may lead to unnecessary stress and patient discomfort. In the following article, we review a commonly used topical gel that lessens nausea and vomiting, as well as the PCCA base vehicle that may enhance penetration of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).