Over-the-counter medicine
Coal tar
Coal tar is an over-the-counter medicine. No generic is listed; pharmacies paid $0.0088 per mL (Thera-gel 0.5% shampoo) in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- No generic listed
- Over the counter
Check it at the source: the coal tar FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 8, 2025); every coal tar label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of December 8, 2025; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagecontrols the symptom of: dandruff seborrheic dermatitis psoriasis
Forms and strengths
- 0.005 g/g
- 0.018 g/ml
- 0.03 g/g
- 0.5 g/100g
- 1.39 g/100ml
- 2 mg/100ml
- 5 mg/ml
- 5.39 g/250ml
- 10 mg/ml
- 20 mg/g
- 21.3 mg/g
- 62.5 mg/ml
Shampoo; ointment; lotion/shampoo; soap; liquid.
On the market
- Generic approvals
- No generic approved
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 21 of which 0 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.0088 per mL Thera-gel 0.5% shampoo
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 784 through July 30, 2026
What is coal tar used for?
From the label: indications and usagecontrols the symptom of: dandruff seborrheic dermatitis psoriasis
Conditions named in the indications of coal tar's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other coal tar labelsPsoriasis: Uses Section Uses For the relief of symptoms associated with psoriasis and or seborrheic dermatitis including itching, scaling, flaking, redness and irritation of the skin.
Source: FDA drug label (therapeutic tar anti-dandruff Anti-dandruff, anti-seborrheic dermatitis, anti-psoriasis), GOODSENSE, effective December 8, 2025 (SPL set 72ab0e6b-72a5-4e8a-af44-963251b0641f), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for coal tar?
No generic coal tar 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 coal tar?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.0088 per mL (Thera-gel 0.5% shampoo), down 6% from $0.0093 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.
- Thera-gel 0.5% shampoo (generic)
- Dhs tar 0.5% shampoo (brand)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thera-gel 0.5% shampoo | Generic | $0.0088 per mL | n/a | -6% |
| Dhs tar 0.5% shampoo | Brand | $0.0411 per mL | n/a | +8% |
| Dhs tar gel 0.5% shampoo | Brand | $0.0411 per mL | n/a | +8% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
What does the coal tar label say about other medicines?
The coal tar label names no other medicine on this site. The labels of 2 other medicines name coal tar. The sentences are the labels' own; a label lists what its studies and reports found, not every interaction.
Other labels that name coal tar
Source: FDA drug label (therapeutic tar anti-dandruff Anti-dandruff, anti-seborrheic dermatitis, anti-psoriasis), GOODSENSE, effective December 8, 2025 (SPL set 72ab0e6b-72a5-4e8a-af44-963251b0641f), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for coal tar?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 784 reports that list coal tar among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 14 are coded as a death and 355 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 coal tar?
10 other medicines are given the same way (topical) and in the same FDA class as coal tar or labeled mainly for the same use (psoriasis), the same class first. Psoriasis lists all 38 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 (topical) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clobetasol | Psoriasis | 40 labelers | $0.126 per gram 0.05% ointment | No current entry |
| Fluocinolone | Psoriasis | 15 labelers | $0.171 per mL 0.01% scalp oil | No current entry |
| Desoximetasone | Psoriasis | 13 labelers | $0.369 per gram 0.25% ointment | No current entry |
| Halobetasol | Psoriasis | 6 labelers | $0.620 per gram 0.05% ointmnt | No current entry |
| Tazarotene | Psoriasis | 6 labelers | $6.11 per gram 0.1% gel | No current entry |
| Betamethasone and calcipotriene | Psoriasis | 5 labelers | $1.81 per gram 0.005%-0.064% ointment | No current entry |
| Calcipotriene | Psoriasis | 6 labelers | $1.05 per gram 0.005% cream | No current entry |
| Calcitriol | Psoriasis | none listed | n/a | A presentation being discontinued |
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does coal tar compare with medicines for the same use?
1 side-by-side page set coal tar beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to coal tar
- 10 medicines for the same use
- Coal tar side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other