Over-the-counter medicine
Glycerin
Glycerin is an over-the-counter medicine. No generic is listed; pharmacies paid $0.103 per glycerin suppository in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- No generic listed
- Over the counter
Check it at the source: the glycerin FDA label on DailyMed (effective October 29, 2025); every glycerin label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of October 29, 2025; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagefor relief of occasional constipation this product generally produces a bowel movement in 1/4 to 1 hour
Forms and strengths
- 1 g
- 1.2 g
- 2 g
- 2.1 g
- 5.4 g
- 0.22 g/100ml
- 0.25 g/100ml
- 0.25 mg/ml
- 0.3 g/4g
- 0.3 mg/ml
- 1 g/g
- 1 mg/ml
Suppository; solution/ drops; soap; liquid; gel.
On the market
- Generic approvals
- No generic approved
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 50 of which 0 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.103 per suppository Glycerin suppository
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 0 since 2015 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; 6 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 5,822 through July 30, 2026
What is glycerin used for?
From the label: indications and usagefor relief of occasional constipation this product generally produces a bowel movement in 1/4 to 1 hour
Conditions named in the indications of glycerin's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other glycerin labelsConstipation: Uses for relief of occasional constipation this product generally produces a bowel movement in 1/4 to 1 hour
Herpes and shingles: Uses Helps prevent and temporarily protects and help relieve chafed, chapped or cracked skin and lips Helps prevent and protect from the drying effects of wind and cold weather Relieves dryness and softens cold sores and fever blisters
Source: FDA drug label (Glycerin), Chain Drug Marketing Association Inc., effective October 29, 2025 (SPL set 424d91f0-ecf9-6d9b-e063-6394a90a8006), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for glycerin?
No generic glycerin 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 glycerin?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.103 per Glycerin suppository, down 7% from $0.111 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.
- Glycerin suppository (generic)
- Fleet glycerin liquid supp (brand)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child glycerin 1.2 g supp | Generic | $0.122 per unit | n/a | -19% |
| Child glycerin suppository | Generic | $0.122 per suppository | n/a | -19% |
| Child proctozone-g 1.2 g supp | Generic | $0.122 per unit | n/a | n/a |
| Glycerin 2 g suppository | Generic | $0.160 per suppository | n/a | -12% |
| Glycerin adult suppository | Generic | $0.103 per suppository | n/a | -7% |
| Glycerin suppository | Generic | $0.103 per suppository | n/a | -7% |
| Proctozone-gmax 2 g supposit | Generic | $0.160 per unit | n/a | n/a |
| Fleet glycerin liquid supp | Brand | $0.139 per mL | n/a | +10% |
| Fleet pedia-lax suppositories | Brand | $0.209 per mL | n/a | +0.6% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has glycerin been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 6 recalls naming glycerin since 2015: 0 Class I (the most serious), 6 Class II, 0 Class III; 2 still ongoing. 6 of them are by firms that FDA's NDC Directory does not list as a maker of glycerin and that hold 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 27, 2026 | Class II | Oasis Medical, Inc. not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility: The recall is being initiated out of an abundance of caution following FDA observations noted during a recent inspection of … |
| April 20, 2026 | Class II | SCOPE HEALTH not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility |
| January 15, 2020 | Class II | Fusion IV Pharmaceuticals, Inc. dba Axia Pharmaceutical not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility |
| July 11, 2019 | Class II | US Pharmaceuticals Inc. not a listed maker | CGMP Deviations: Out of Specification results for either total microbial count or total organic carbon in the purified water utilized in the manufacturing … |
| June 15, 2015 | Class II | Liberty Drug & Surgical not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility: Process deficiencies were observed in the sterile ophthalmic and injectable products that could have compromised the sterility … |
| May 18, 2015 | Class II | Advanced Physician Solutions, Inc. not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What do FAERS reports show for glycerin?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 5,822 reports that list glycerin among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 646 are coded as a death and 2,270 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 glycerin?
4 other medicines are given the same way (rectal) and in the same FDA class as glycerin or labeled mainly for the same use (constipation), the same class first. Constipation lists all 20 medicines labeled for it, by any route. They are listed as records, not as substitutes: whether one can replace another is a prescriber's decision.
| Medicine | Shared indication | Generic labelers (rectal) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bisacodyl | Constipation | none listed | $0.320 per suppository 10 mg suppository | No current entry |
| Sodium phosphate dibasic and sodium phosphate monobasic | Constipation | none listed | $0.0067 per mL Enema ready to use | No current entry |
| Mineral oil | Constipation | none listed | $0.0171 per mL Fleet mineral oil enema | No current entry |
| Docusate | Constipation | none listed | $0.461 per mL Docusate sodium mini enema | No current entry |
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does glycerin compare with medicines for the same use?
1 side-by-side page set glycerin beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to glycerin
- 4 medicines for the same use
- Glycerin side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other