Over-the-counter medicine
Ethyl alcohol
Ethyl alcohol is an over-the-counter medicine. No generic is listed in FDA's NDC Directory.
- No generic listed
- Over the counter
Check it at the source: the ethyl alcohol FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 21, 2026); every ethyl alcohol label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of August 21, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageTo decrease bacteria on the skin that could cause disease.
Forms and strengths
Kit.
On the market
- Generic approvals
- No generic approved
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 6 of which 0 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- Not in the survey
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 0 since 2015 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; 1 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 27,242 through July 30, 2026
What is ethyl alcohol used for?
From the label: indications and usageTo decrease bacteria on the skin that could cause disease.
When water, soap and towel are not available.
Recommended for repeated use.
Source: FDA drug label (Hand Sanitizer Trio - chocolate chip pancake, strawberry matcha and dubai chocolate scent), Diamond Life Cosmetics Trading FZCO, effective August 21, 2026 (SPL set e0f22428-acd6-40b1-8059-a0fba2755886), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for ethyl alcohol?
No generic ethyl alcohol is approved (Drugs@FDA, October 8, 2026).
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
Has ethyl alcohol been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 1 recall naming ethyl alcohol since 2015: 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 ethyl alcohol 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 24, 2015 | Class II | JD & SN Inc., dba Moses Lake Professional Pharmacy not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility; all sterile human compounded drugs within expiry |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the ethyl alcohol label say about other medicines?
The ethyl alcohol label names no other medicine on this site. The labels of 4 other medicines name ethyl alcohol. The sentences are the labels' own; a label lists what its studies and reports found, not every interaction.
Other labels that name ethyl alcohol
Source: FDA drug label (Hand Sanitizer Trio - chocolate chip pancake, strawberry matcha and dubai chocolate scent), Diamond Life Cosmetics Trading FZCO, effective August 21, 2026 (SPL set e0f22428-acd6-40b1-8059-a0fba2755886), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for ethyl alcohol?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 27,242 reports that list ethyl alcohol among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 15,216 are coded as a death and 8,770 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 next?
- Ethyl alcohol side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other