Abstract: A polidocanol (POL) doped sol–gel patch based transdermal iontophoretic drug delivery system (TIDDS) for the treatment of varicose veins is presented in this paper. The sol–gel surface morphology and internal microstructure were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A timer based iontophoretic current supply unit was indigenously designed to deliver low current (5 mA) for drug delivery. Two silver electrodes delivered current to the sol–gel patch. It was observed that the drug dispersed in the sol–gel matrix diffused through solvent-filled capillary channels under the influence of the applied current. In vitro release profile of POL was tested on albino rat skin. The rate of delivery through the skin was evaluated by fluorescence spectroscopy measurements. The results indicated that the sol–gel patch under the influence of iontophoretic current allowed controlled release of the POL. Thus the sol–gel patch can be an efficient and an effective non-invasive alternative to deliver POL using iontophoresis to treat the region affected by varicose veins to reduce pain. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.