Pharmaceutical and veterinary preparations for the treatment of symptoms of menopause, female androgen insufficiency, severe pain, for the treatment of central nervous system disorders including nausea and anxiety-related disorders, male androgen insufficiency, urinary incontinence, for contraception and smoking cessation; pharmaceutical compositions for transdermal delivery for the treatment of symptoms of menopause, female androgen insufficiency, severe pain, for the treatment of central nervous system disorders including nausea and anxiety-related disorders, male androgen insufficiency, urinary incontinence, for contraception and smoking cessation; pharmaceutical compositions for transmucosal delivery for the treatment of symptoms of menopause, female androgen insufficiency, severe pain, for the treatment of central nervous system disorders including nausea and anxiety-related disorders, male androgen insufficiency, urinary incontinence, for contraception and smoking cessation; pharmaceutical compositions for hormone-replacement therapy; pharmaceutical compositions containing active agents for the treatment of diseases and conditions of the central nervous system; pharmaceutical compositions for non-occlusive transdermal and transmucosal delivery which form a reservoir or deposit within the skin or membrane for the treatment of symptoms of menopause, female androgen insufficiency, severe pain, for the treatment of central nervous system disorders including nausea and anxiety-related disorders, male androgen insufficiency, urinary incontinence, for contraception and smoking cessation; pharmaceutical compositions providing transdermal and transmucosal delivery of hormones such as estradiol and other physiologically active agents acting on the central nervous system such as fentanyl