Two medicines, side by side
Dexamethasone vs ketorolac
Dexamethasone and ketorolac are both labeled for pain. Drugs@FDA records approvals of dexamethasone since 1958 and of ketorolac since 1989. Pharmacies paid $0.193 per dexamethasone 4 mg tablet and $1.02 per mL (Ketorolac 30 mg/mL vial) (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. In FDA's classes, dexamethasone is a corticosteroid and ketorolac a cyclooxygenase inhibitor.
Check it at the source: the dexamethasone FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 6, 2025); the ketorolac FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 31, 2023).
Highlights of the dexamethasone record
Dexamethasone (Decadron) · label of June 6, 2025
Used for
From the label: indicationsAllergic States Control of severe or incapacitating allergic conditions intractable to adequate trials of conventional treatment in asthma, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, drug hypersensitivity reactions, perennial or seasonal allergic rhinitis, and serum sickness. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- October 30, 1958
- Generic labelers
- 60 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.193 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- In shortage
- Recalls
- 8
Highlights of the ketorolac record
Ketorolac (Toradol) · label of August 31, 2023
Ketorolac tromethamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is indicated for the short-term (up to 5 days in adults) management of moderately severe acute pain that requires analgesia at the opioid level. Oral ketorolac tromethamine is indicated only as continuation treatment following intravenous or intramuscular dosing of ketorolac tromethamine, if necessary.
Used for
From the label: indicationsCarefully consider the potential benefits and risks of ketorolac tromethamine and other treatment options before deciding to use ketorolac. Use the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration consistent with individual patient treatment goals (see WARNINGS ). […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- November 30, 1989
- Generic labelers
- 60 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $1.02 per mL
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- In shortage
- Recalls
- 24
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Dexamethasone label of June 6, 2025, Ketorolac label of August 31, 2023); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do dexamethasone and ketorolac differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, dexamethasone is a corticosteroid and ketorolac a cyclooxygenase inhibitor.
Only the ketorolac label carries a boxed warning.
Generics: dexamethasone since 1971; ketorolac since 1997 (Drugs@FDA).
| Dexamethasone | Ketorolac | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Asthma, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Herpes and shingles, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Multiple sclerosis, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriasis, Allergies, Anemia, Pain | Pain |
| Pharmacologic class | Corticosteroid | Cyclooxygenase Inhibitor, Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug |
| How it works (label) | n/a | of ketorolac, like that of other NSAIDs, is not completely understood but may be related to prostaglandin synthetase inhibition. The biological activity of ketorolac tromethamine is associated with the S-form. |
| Half-life (label) | n/a | The half-life of the ketorolac tromethamine S-enantiomer was approximately 2.5 hours (SD ± 0.4) compared with 5 hours (SD ± 1.7) for the R-enantiomer. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | October 30, 1958 | November 30, 1989 |
| First generic approved | October 20, 1971 | May 16, 1997 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 60 labelers | 60 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.193 per tablet (Dexamethasone 4 mg tablet) | $1.02 per mL (Ketorolac 30 mg/mL vial) |
| 12-month price change | -26% | -6% |
| Boxed warning | No | Yes |
| Shortage now | In shortage | In shortage |
| Recalls recorded | 8 | 24 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 304,163 | 5,597 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to dexamethasone
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions