Textile-based drug delivery systems have a high potential for innovative medical and gerontechnologicalapplications. In this study, the tribological behaviour and lubrication properties of a novel textile withdrug delivery function/finishing was investigated by means of friction experiments that simulated cyclicdynamic contacts with skin under dry and wet conditions. The textile drug delivery system is based ona loadable biopolymer dressing on a polyester (PES) woven fabric. The fabrics were finished with low(LC) and highly cross-linked (HC) polysaccharide dressings and investigated in the unloaded conditionas well as loaded with phytotherapeutic substances. The mechanical resistance and possible abrasion ofthe functional coatings on the textile substrate were assessed by friction measurements and scanningelectron microscopical analyses.Under dry contact conditions, all investigated fabrics (PES substrate alone and textiles with loaded andunloaded dressings) showed generally low friction coefficients (0.20–0.26). Under wet conditions, themeasured friction coefficients were typically higher (0.34–0.51) by a factor of 1.5–2. In the wet condition,both loaded drug delivery textiles exhibited 7–29% lower friction (0.34–0.41) than the PES fabric withunloaded dressings (0.42–0.51), indicating pronounced lubrication effects. The lubrication effects as wellas the abrasion resistance of the studied textiles with drug delivery function depended on the degree ofdilution of the phytotherapeutic substances.Lubricating formulations of textile-based drug delivery systems which reduce friction against the skinmight be promising candidates for advanced medical textile finishes in connection with skin care andwound (decubitus ulcer) prevention.