Prescription medication · Topical Corticosteroid
desoximetasone
Also sold as Topicort. This medicine treats skin problems that cause inflammation and itching.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 18,159
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- $1.43
- Generic price (NADAC)
desoximetasone (Topicort) is a prescription Topical Corticosteroid. This medicine treats skin problems that cause inflammation and itching.
Desoximetasone is a steroid medicine that you put on your skin. It helps reduce swelling, itching, and redness.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$1.43/unit
Generic Available
Yes (19 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
This medicine treats skin problems that cause inflammation and itching.
Common side effects
No common side effects listed.
Key warnings
You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to any of its ingredients.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from desoximetasone's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Desoximetasone is a strong corticosteroid. It works by reducing inflammation. It also reduces itching.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 18,159 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for desoximetasone, by number of reports
- Pain
Pain
8,816 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
8,635 reports
- Alopecia
Alopecia
8,121 reports
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
8,064 reports
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
7,966 reports
- Pemphigus
Pemphigus
7,742 reports
- Abdominal Discomfort
Abdominal Discomfort
7,697 reports
- Glossodynia
Glossodynia
7,510 reports
- Swelling
Swelling
7,041 reports
- Hand Deformity
Hand Deformity
6,818 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 desoximetasone 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 desoximetasone sits
desoximetasone has more FDA adverse-event reports than 53% 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 desoximetasone; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 18,159 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
18,159
Reports Mentioning Death
4,534
25.0% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
6,570
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | PAIN | 8,816 |
| 3 | FATIGUE | 8,635 |
| 4 | ALOPECIA | 8,121 |
| 5 | RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS | 8,064 |
| 6 | SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS | 7,966 |
| 7 | PEMPHIGUS | 7,742 |
| 8 | ABDOMINAL DISCOMFORT | 7,697 |
| 9 | GLOSSODYNIA | 7,510 |
| 10 | SWELLING | 7,041 |
| 11 | HAND DEFORMITY | 6,818 |
| 12 | RASH | 6,712 |
| 13 | ARTHROPATHY | 6,684 |
| 15 | SYNOVITIS | 6,373 |
| 16 | WOUND | 6,338 |
| 17 | JOINT SWELLING | 6,325 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to any of its ingredients.
Common Questions
What is desoximetasone used for?
How often should I apply the cream?
Can I use a bandage over the treated area?
What should I do if I get the cream in my eyes?
Can I use this cream on my face?
Are there any side effects?
Can I use this while pregnant?
How long should I use this medication?
What should I do if my skin condition gets worse?
Can I buy this over the counter?
What drug class is desoximetasone?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for desoximetasone?
Related Medications in Topical Corticosteroid
Other drugs grouped near desoximetasone - same-class peers and common alternatives.
adapalene
Differin
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apremilast
Otezla
Apremilast (Otezla/Otezla XR) is a medicine that can help adults and children manage psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis.
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azelaic acid
Finacea, Azelex
Azelaic acid gel is a topical medicine that helps treat rosacea.
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benzoyl peroxide
Benzac, PanOxyl
Benzoyl peroxide is a topical medicine that fights germs on your skin.
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betamethasone
Diprosone, Luxiq
Betamethasone dipropionate cream is a strong steroid medicine used on the skin.
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Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for desoximetasone: 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: 18,159.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 24.97%.
- aliskiren Δ 0.07 pts · 2,229 reports · Direct Renin Inhibitor 25.03%death share
- remdesivir Δ 0.18 pts · 13,113 reports · Nucleotide Analog (Antiviral) 24.78%death share
- codeine Δ 0.38 pts · 3,245 reports · Opioid Analgesic 24.59%death share
- posaconazole Δ 0.76 pts · 15,332 reports · Azole Antifungal 24.20%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
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
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What the FDA Data Shows for desoximetasone
The FDA label for desoximetasone (sold under brand names such as Topicort) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Topical Corticosteroid class. This medicine treats skin problems that cause inflammation and itching. Labeling covers dosing, contraindications, and monitoring requirements derived from clinical trials.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 18,159 voluntary reports. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $1.43.
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: December 9, 2023
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