In this article, a new in vitro model system is presented with a multilayer membrane system serving as acceptor. Matrix-stabilized membranes are applied with dodecanol as lipid and collodion as matrix. Using the drug dithranol it was shown that the acceptor system can be varied over a wide range by changing the dodecanol content of the membranes and by addition of the hydrophilic substance propylene glycol to the membranes. It was demonstrated that the variability of the acceptor system can be used to adapt the penetration profiles of dithranol in a six-layer membrane system to those in excised human skin. It is shown that it is possible to study the penetration of dithranol from different semisolid formulations using the 'adapted' model system.