Over-the-counter medicine
Castor oil
Castor oil is an over-the-counter medicine. No generic is listed; pharmacies paid $0.0193 per mL (Castor oil) in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- No generic listed
- Over the counter
Check it at the source: the castor oil FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 15, 2026); every castor oil label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of June 15, 2026; 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 (irregularity).
Forms and strengths
- 1 mg/ml
- 1 g/ml
- 1000 mg/ml
Liquid; oil.
On the market
- Generic approvals
- No generic approved
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 25 of which 0 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.0193 per mL Castor oil
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 189 through July 30, 2026
What is castor oil used for?
From the label: indications and usagefor relief of occasional constipation (irregularity). Generally produces bowel movement in 6 to 12 hours.
Conditions named in the indications of castor oil's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other castor oil labelsConstipation: Use for relief of occasional constipation (irregularity).
Source: FDA drug label (Signature Care), Better Living Brands, LLC, effective June 15, 2026 (SPL set 4947cf4d-3ebd-4b66-9582-f141407aa300), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for castor oil?
No generic castor oil 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 castor oil?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.0193 per mL (Castor oil), about the same as a year earlier. 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.
- Castor oil (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castor oil | Generic | $0.0193 per mL | n/a | +0.3% |
| Ft castor oil | Generic | $0.0199 per mL | n/a | -0.1% |
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 castor oil label say about other medicines?
The castor oil label names no other medicine on this site. The labels of 5 other medicines name castor oil. The sentences are the labels' own; a label lists what its studies and reports found, not every interaction.
Other labels that name castor oil
Source: FDA drug label (Signature Care), Better Living Brands, LLC, effective June 15, 2026 (SPL set 4947cf4d-3ebd-4b66-9582-f141407aa300), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for castor oil?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 189 reports that list castor oil among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 15 are coded as a death and 60 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.
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 castor oil?
15 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as castor oil or labeled mainly for the same use (constipation), the same class first. Constipation lists all 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docusate | Constipation | none listed | $0.0276 per unit 100 mg softgel | No current entry |
| Sennosides | Constipation | none listed | $0.0258 per tablet 8.6 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Polyethylene glycol 3350 | Constipation | 73 labelers | $0.0286 per gram 3350 powd | No current entry |
| Bisacodyl | Constipation | none listed | $0.0441 per tablet 5 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Magnesium hydroxide | Constipation | none listed | $0.0095 per mL Milk of magnesia suspension | No current entry |
| Magnesium citrate | Constipation | none listed | $0.0066 per mL Magnesium citrate solution | No current entry |
| Lubiprostone | Constipation | 10 labelers | $0.651 per capsule 24 mcg capsule | No current entry |
| Prucalopride | Constipation | 18 labelers | $0.639 per tablet 1 mg tablet | No current entry |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as castor oil
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does castor oil compare with medicines for the same use?
3 side-by-side pages set castor oil beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to castor oil
- 15 medicines for the same use
- Castor oil side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other