Over-the-counter medicine
Calcium polycarbophil
Calcium polycarbophil is an over-the-counter medicine. No generic is listed; pharmacies paid $0.0591 per unit (Fiber-lax 625 mg caplet) in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- No generic listed
- Over the counter
Check it at the source: the calcium polycarbophil FDA label on DailyMed (effective September 1, 2026); every calcium polycarbophil label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of September 1, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagerelieves occasional constipation to help restore and maintain regularity
this product generally produces bowel movement in 12 to 72 hours
Forms and strengths
- 625 mg
Film-coated tablet; tablet; capsule.
On the market
- Generic approvals
- No generic approved
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 33 of which 0 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.0591 per unit Fiber-lax 625 mg caplet
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 0 since 2013 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; 1 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 2,951 through July 30, 2026
What is calcium polycarbophil used for?
From the label: indications and usagerelieves occasional constipation to help restore and maintain regularity
this product generally produces bowel movement in 12 to 72 hours
Conditions named in the indications of calcium polycarbophil's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other calcium polycarbophil labelsConstipation: USES ▪ relieves occasional constipation to help restore and maintain regularity ▪ this product generally produces bowel movement in 12 to 72 hours
Source: FDA drug label (Fiber Caplets), THE KROGER CO., effective September 1, 2026 (SPL set d6856f59-ccc3-40fc-9bf1-7a5394ed12da), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for calcium polycarbophil?
No generic calcium polycarbophil is approved (Drugs@FDA, October 8, 2026).
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for calcium polycarbophil?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.0591 per unit (Fiber-lax 625 mg caplet), up 4% from $0.057 on October 8, 2025. The chart's scale runs from the lowest to the highest price shown, not from zero. NADAC is what retail pharmacies paid their wholesalers, per unit, in CMS's monthly survey; what a patient pays depends on insurance and the pharmacy.
- Fiber-lax 625 mg caplet (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber 625 mg caplet | Generic | $0.0591 per unit | n/a | +4% |
| Fiber laxative 625 mg caplet | Generic | $0.0591 per unit | n/a | +4% |
| Fiber tabs | Generic | $0.0591 per unit | $1.77 | n/a |
| Fiber-lax 625 mg caplet | Generic | $0.0591 per unit | n/a | +4% |
| Ft fiber laxative 625 mg cplt | Generic | $0.0591 per unit | n/a | +4% |
| Qc fiber 625 mg caplet | Generic | $0.0591 per unit | n/a | +4% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has calcium polycarbophil been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 1 recall naming calcium polycarbophil since 2013: 0 Class I (the most serious), 1 Class II, 0 Class III; 0 still ongoing. 1 of them is by a firm that FDA's NDC Directory does not list as a maker of calcium polycarbophil and that holds no application for it in Drugs@FDA, such as compounding pharmacies or bulk-ingredient suppliers; the recall notice names the product recalled. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.
| Started | Class | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2, 2013 | Class II | Aidapak Services, LLC not a listed maker | Labeling: Label Mixup: CALCIUM POLYCARBOPHIL, Tablet, 625 mg may have potentially been mislabeled as the following drug: CAFFEINE, Tablet, 100 mg (1/2 of 200 … |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What do FAERS reports show for calcium polycarbophil?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 2,951 reports that list calcium polycarbophil among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 241 are coded as a death and 928 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is.
Reports received each year
The most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026
What else is labeled for the same conditions as calcium polycarbophil?
15 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as calcium polycarbophil or labeled mainly for the same use (constipation), the same class first. Constipation lists all 20 medicines labeled for it, by any route. The first 8 are below. They are listed as records, not as substitutes: whether one can replace another is a prescriber's decision.
| Medicine | Shared indication | Generic labelers (oral) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docusate | Constipation | none listed | $0.0276 per unit 100 mg softgel | No current entry |
| Sennosides | Constipation | none listed | $0.0258 per tablet 8.6 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Polyethylene glycol 3350 | Constipation | 73 labelers | $0.0286 per gram 3350 powd | No current entry |
| Bisacodyl | Constipation | none listed | $0.0441 per tablet 5 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Magnesium hydroxide | Constipation | none listed | $0.0095 per mL Milk of magnesia suspension | No current entry |
| Magnesium citrate | Constipation | none listed | $0.0066 per mL Magnesium citrate solution | No current entry |
| Lubiprostone | Constipation | 10 labelers | $0.651 per capsule 24 mcg capsule | No current entry |
| Prucalopride | Constipation | 18 labelers | $0.639 per tablet 1 mg tablet | No current entry |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as calcium polycarbophil
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does calcium polycarbophil compare with medicines for the same use?
2 side-by-side pages set calcium polycarbophil beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to calcium polycarbophil
- 15 medicines for the same use
- Calcium polycarbophil side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other