Over-the-counter medication · Retinoid (Topical)
adapalene
Also sold as Differin.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 178,147
- FDA reportsHeavily reported
- 1
- InteractionFew interactions
- $2.45
- Generic price (NADAC)
What the data shows
adapalene (Differin) is an over-the-counter Retinoid (Topical), more reported than roughly 9 in 10 tracked drugs (178,147 FDA reports), with 1 documented drug interaction.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$2.45/unit
Generic Available
Yes (18 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
NADAC price trail: ADAPALENE 0.1% CREAM
Same CMS presentation as the headline generic unit price above (2 effective dates). Adjacent % compares consecutive NADAC releases for this description only, not a patient out-of-pocket quote. Latest step: +1.7% vs prior release.
| Effective | NADAC / unit | vs prior | NDCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 18, 2024 | $2.41/GM | - | 1 |
| December 18, 2024 | $2.45/GM | +1.7% | 2 |
What it does
Information not available.
Common side effects
Dry skin, Contact dermatitis (skin rash), Burning feeling on the skin where you put the medicine
Key warnings
No specific warnings noted. Always follow your prescriber's instructions.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 178,147 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for adapalene, by number of reports
- Dry Skin
Dry Skin
44,990 reports
- Skin Burning Sensation
Skin Burning Sensation
41,633 reports
- Acne
Acne
39,264 reports
- Erythema
Erythema
38,379 reports
- Skin Irritation
Skin Irritation
26,225 reports
- Skin Exfoliation
Skin Exfoliation
21,251 reports
- Inappropriate Schedule Of Product Administration 16,186
Inappropriate Schedule Of Product Administration
16,186 reports
- Rash 15,520
Rash
15,520 reports
- Overdose 13,210
Overdose
13,210 reports
- Pain Of Skin 12,283
Pain Of Skin
12,283 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for adapalene each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where adapalene sits
adapalene has more FDA adverse-event reports than 93% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is adapalene; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 178,147 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
178,147
Reports Mentioning Death
32
0.0% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
358
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | DRY SKIN | 44,990 |
| 3 | SKIN BURNING SENSATION | 41,633 |
| 4 | ACNE | 39,264 |
| 5 | ERYTHEMA | 38,379 |
| 6 | SKIN IRRITATION | 26,225 |
| 7 | SKIN EXFOLIATION | 21,251 |
| 8 | INAPPROPRIATE SCHEDULE OF PRODUCT ADMINISTRATION | 16,186 |
| 9 | RASH | 15,520 |
| 10 | OVERDOSE | 13,210 |
| 11 | PAIN OF SKIN | 12,283 |
| 12 | PRURITUS | 11,826 |
| 13 | HYPERSENSITIVITY | 8,305 |
| 14 | UNDERDOSE | 4,949 |
| 15 | CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 4,946 |
| 16 | RASH PAPULAR | 4,147 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Known Drug Interactions
No formal drug-drug interaction studies were conducted with adapalene and benzoyl peroxide gel 0.1% / 2.5%.
Mechanism: There are no known studies showing that these two skin treatments interfere with each other.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
What are the common side effects of adapalene?
Does adapalene interact with other medications?
What drug class is adapalene?
Related Medications in Retinoid (Topical)
Other drugs grouped near adapalene - same-class peers and common alternatives.
apremilast
Otezla
Apremilast (Otezla/Otezla XR) is a medicine that can help adults and children manage psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis.
Compare with adapalene →
azelaic acid
Finacea, Azelex
Azelaic acid gel is a topical medicine that helps treat rosacea.
Compare with adapalene →
benzoyl peroxide
Benzac, PanOxyl
Benzoyl peroxide is a topical medicine that fights germs on your skin.
Compare with adapalene →
betamethasone
Diprosone, Luxiq
Betamethasone dipropionate cream is a strong steroid medicine used on the skin.
Compare with adapalene →
brodalumab
Siliq
Siliq is a medicine used to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.
Compare with adapalene →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for adapalene: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 178,147.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 0.02%.
- levonorgestrel Δ 0.12 pts · 197,074 reports · Progestin 0.14%death share
- etonogestrel Δ 0.18 pts · 46,939 reports · Progestin (Implant) 0.20%death share
- crisaborole Δ 0.24 pts · 9,400 reports · PDE4 Inhibitor (Topical) 0.26%death share
- dupilumab Δ 0.41 pts · 411,692 reports · Anti-IL-4/IL-13 Monoclonal Antibody 0.43%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Pain Relievers Compared
NSAIDs vs acetaminophen, which OTC pain reliever to use
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
What the FDA Data Shows for adapalene
The FDA label for adapalene (sold under brand names such as Differin) classifies it as an over-the-counter product in the Retinoid (Topical) class. Regulatory labeling describes its approved uses and the patient populations studied in pre-market trials. Official labeling lists 4 commonly reported side effects, including Dry skin, Contact dermatitis (skin rash), Burning feeling on the skin where you put the medicine.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 178,147 voluntary reports. The database also lists 1 documented drug interaction derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $2.45.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: January 8, 2025
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages