BackgroundNanocarriers for antibacterial drugs became hopeful tools against the increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. This work focuses on a comprehensive study of the applicability and therapeutic suitability of dermal carbopol-based hydrogels containing chloramphenicol carried by various nanoparticles (AuNPs and SiNPs).MethodsThe different forms of carbopol-based drugs for dermal use were obtained. Five different concentrations of chloramphenicol and two types of nanoparticles (silica and gold) in carbopol-based ointments were tested. The influence of different carbopol formulations with nanocarriers on the rheological properties as well as the release profile of active substances and bacteriostatic activity on five reference strains were determined.ResultsThe properties of the obtained hydrogels were compared to a commercial formulation, and finally it was possible to obtain a formulation that allowed improved antimicrobial activity over a commercially available detreomycin ointment while reducing the concentration of the antibiotic.ConclusionThe work indicates that it is possible to reduce the concentration of chloramphenicol by four times while maintaining its bacteriostatic activity, which can improve the patient’s safety profile while increasing the effectiveness of the therapy.Graphical abstractSupplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43440-023-00482-4.