Over-the-counter medicine
Bismuth subsalicylate
Bismuth subsalicylate is an over-the-counter medicine. No generic is listed; pharmacies paid $0.0817 per tablet (Bismuth 262 mg tablet chewable) in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- No generic listed
- Over the counter
Check it at the source: the bismuth subsalicylate FDA label on DailyMed (effective October 3, 2023); every bismuth subsalicylate label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of October 3, 2023; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagerelieves travelers' diarrhea diarrhea upset stomach due to overindulgence in food and drink, including: heartburn indigestion nausea gas belching fullness
Forms and strengths
- 262 mg
- 525 mg
- 262 mg/15ml
- 525 mg/30ml
- 525 mg/15ml
- 525 mg/21
- 1050 mg/30ml
- 1050 mg/10ml
Liquid; chewable tablet; suspension; tablet; liquid-filled capsule.
On the market
- Generic approvals
- No generic approved
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 108 of which 0 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.0817 per tablet Bismuth 262 mg tablet chewable
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 1 since 2013 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest March 25, 2019; 1 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 5,773 through July 30, 2026
What is bismuth subsalicylate used for?
From the label: indications and usagerelieves travelers' diarrhea diarrhea upset stomach due to overindulgence in food and drink, including: heartburn indigestion nausea gas belching fullness
Conditions named in the indications of bismuth subsalicylate's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other bismuth subsalicylate labelsDiarrhea: Uses relieves travelers' diarrhea diarrhea upset stomach due to overindulgence in food and drink, including: heartburn indigestion nausea gas belching fullness
Acid reflux and ulcers and Nausea and vomiting: Uses ■ controls diarrhea ■ relieves heartburn, indigestion, nausea and upset stomach
Source: FDA drug label (Pepto-Bismol Chewable, TRAVEL BASIX), Lil' Drug Store Products, Inc., effective October 3, 2023 (SPL set dd2f2205-34d1-4960-bf37-bb8d534cd0e1), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for bismuth subsalicylate?
No generic bismuth subsalicylate 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 bismuth subsalicylate?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.0817 per tablet (Bismuth 262 mg tablet chewable), down 2% from $0.0829 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.
- Stomach relief 525 mg/15 mL (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bismuth 262 mg tablet chewable | Generic | $0.0817 per tablet | $2.45 | -2% |
| Ft stomach relief 525 mg/30 mL | Generic | $0.0126 per mL | n/a | +6% |
| Ft stomach rlf 262 mg caplet | Generic | $0.093 per unit | n/a | -6% |
| Ft stomach rlf 262 mg chewable tablet | Generic | $0.0817 per tablet | $2.45 | -2% |
| Gnp pink bismuth 262 mg tablet chw | Generic | $0.0817 per tablet | $2.45 | -2% |
| Gnp pink bismuth 525 mg/15 mL | Generic | $0.0121 per mL | n/a | no change |
| Gnp stomach rlf 525 mg/30 mL | Generic | $0.0168 per mL | n/a | +2% |
| Pink bismuth caplet | Generic | $0.093 per unit | n/a | -6% |
| Qc stomach relief 525 mg/15 mL | Generic | $0.0121 per mL | n/a | no change |
| Qc stomach relief 525 mg/30 mL | Generic | $0.0126 per mL | n/a | +6% |
| Qc stomach rlf 262 mg caplet | Generic | $0.093 per unit | n/a | -6% |
| Qc stomach rlf 262 mg chewable tablet | Generic | $0.0817 per tablet | $2.45 | -2% |
| Stomach relief 262 mg caplet | Generic | $0.093 per unit | n/a | -6% |
| Stomach relief 262 mg chewable tablet | Generic | $0.0817 per tablet | $2.45 | -2% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has bismuth subsalicylate been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 2 recalls naming bismuth subsalicylate since 2013: 0 Class I (the most serious), 2 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 bismuth subsalicylate 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 25, 2019 | Class II | Lohxa LLC | Labeling: Incorrect or Missing Lot and/or Exp Date - the label contains an incorrect Exp Date. |
| July 2, 2013 | Class II | Aidapak Services, LLC not a listed maker | Labeling: Label Mixup: BISMUTH SUBSALICYLATE, CHEW Tablet, 262 mg may have potentially been mislabeled as the following drug: IRBESARTAN, Tablet, 150 mg, NDC … |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the bismuth subsalicylate label say about other medicines?
The bismuth subsalicylate label names 1 other medicine in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 3 other medicines name bismuth subsalicylate. The sentences are the labels' own; a label lists what its studies and reports found, not every interaction.
| Medicine named | Section | What the label says |
|---|---|---|
| Aspirin | warnings | Do not take if you are allergic to salicylates (including aspirin) taking other salicylate products Do not use if you have an ulcer a bleeding problem bloody or black stool Ask a doctor before use if you have fever mucus in the stool Ask a doctor or pharmacist before use if you are taking any drug for anticoagulation … |
Other labels that name bismuth subsalicylate
Source: FDA drug label (Pepto-Bismol Chewable, TRAVEL BASIX), Lil' Drug Store Products, Inc., effective October 3, 2023 (SPL set dd2f2205-34d1-4960-bf37-bb8d534cd0e1), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for bismuth subsalicylate?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 5,773 reports that list bismuth subsalicylate among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 557 are coded as a death and 1,547 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 bismuth subsalicylate?
10 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as bismuth subsalicylate or labeled mainly for the same use (diarrhea), the same class first. Diarrhea lists all 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loperamide | Diarrhea | 98 labelers | $0.0549 per capsule 2 mg capsule | No current entry |
| Ciprofloxacin | Diarrhea | 46 labelers | $0.123 per tablet 500 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Dimethicone and loperamide | Diarrhea | 33 labelers | $0.286 per unit Gs anti-diarrheal-antigas cplt | No current entry |
| Atropine and diphenoxylate | Diarrhea | 19 labelers | $0.139 per tablet 2.5-0.025 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Nitazoxanide | Diarrhea | 4 labelers | $82.20 per tablet 500 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Rifaximin | Diarrhea | none listed | n/a | No current entry |
| Atropine and difenoxin | Diarrhea | none listed | $6.91 per tablet 1-0.025 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Octreotide | Diarrhea | none listed | n/a | No current entry |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as bismuth subsalicylate
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does bismuth subsalicylate compare with medicines for the same use?
4 side-by-side pages set bismuth subsalicylate beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to bismuth subsalicylate
- 10 medicines for the same use
- Bismuth subsalicylate side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other