Prescription and over-the-counter medicine

Dexamethasone Brand names: Ozurdex, Maxidex, Hemady, Dextenza, Taperdex; first approved as Decadron

Dexamethasone (Decadron) is a prescription and over-the-counter medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1958. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 60 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $0.193 per dexamethasone 4 mg tablet in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.

Generic listed
In shortage

Check it at the source: the dexamethasone FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 6, 2025, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.); the NDA 11664 record on Drugs@FDA; every dexamethasone label on DailyMed.

Highlights of the record

FDA label of June 6, 2025; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026

Used for

From the label: indications and usage
Allergic States Control of severe or incapacitating allergic conditions intractable to adequate trials of conventional treatment in asthma, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, drug hypersensitivity reactions, perennial or seasonal allergic rhinitis, and serum sickness.

Forms and strengths

0.25 mg
0.4 mg
0.5 mg
0.7 mg
0.75 mg
1 mg
1.5 mg
2 mg
4 mg
6 mg
20 mg
0.5 mg/5ml

Tablet; injection (solution); injection; elixir; solution (concentrate).

On the market

Earliest approval on file: October 30, 1958 Decadron, Merck; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
Generic approvals: 80 first October 20, 1971; 40 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
Labelers listed (NDC): 64 of which 60 under generic applications, 4 under brand applications, repackagers included; 1 more under the over-the-counter monograph, without an application
Last listed patent: April 26, 2041 Dextenza insert; not a generic launch date

Supply and safety

Pharmacy cost (NADAC): $0.193 per tablet Dexamethasone 4 mg tablet
Shortage (FDA): 2 of 19 presentations limited or unavailable updated October 6, 2026
Recalls by its makers (FDA): 8 since 2012 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest February 4, 2026; 23 more by firms not listed as its makers
FAERS reports: 304,163 through July 30, 2026

What is dexamethasone used for?

From the label: indications and usage
Allergic States Control of severe or incapacitating allergic conditions intractable to adequate trials of conventional treatment in asthma, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, drug hypersensitivity reactions, perennial or seasonal allergic rhinitis, and serum sickness. Dermatologic Diseases Bullous dermatitis herpetiformis, exfoliative erythroderma, mycosis fungoides, pemphigus, and severe erythema multiforme (Stevens-Johnson syndrome). […]

Conditions named in the indications of dexamethasone's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:

From other dexamethasone labels
Asthma and Eczema (atopic dermatitis): INDICATIONS AND USAGE Allergic States Control of severe or incapacitating allergic conditions intractable to adequate trials of conventional treatment in asthma, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, drug hypersensitivity reactions …
Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma: Neoplastic Diseases For the palliative management of leukemias and lymphomas.
Herpes and shingles: Herpes zoster ophthalmicus Iritis, iridocyclitis Chorioretinitis Diffuse posterior uveitis and choroiditis Optic neuritis Sympathetic ophthalmia Anterior segment inflammation Allergic conjunctivitis Allergic corneal marginal ulcers …
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis: Ulcerative colitis (systemic therapy) Regional enteritis (systemic therapy) 8.
Multiple sclerosis: Nervous System Acute exacerbations of multiple sclerosis 13.
Osteoarthritis: Synovitis of osteoarthritis.

FDA pharmacologic class: Corticosteroid.

Source: FDA drug label (Dexamethasone Intensol), Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., effective June 6, 2025 (SPL set b15200fb-1826-472b-a907-e677a272513b), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed

Is there a generic for dexamethasone (Decadron)?

The FDA approved the first generic dexamethasone on October 20, 1971. 80 generic applications are approved; 40 of them carry a current (not discontinued) marketing status in Drugs@FDA; that status is not evidence that the generic is on sale.

FDA's NDC Directory lists dexamethasone from 60 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application and from 4 brand labelers. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.

The Orange Book lists no patent for Decadron tablets; a patent listed only for Dextenza insert runs to April 26, 2041. A patent or exclusivity date is not the date a generic goes on sale: court cases and settlements move it either way.

1958 earliest approval on file
1971 first generic approved
2041 last listed patent
2019 to now in shortage
red ticks recalls

Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)

What do pharmacies pay for dexamethasone (Decadron)?

In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.193 per Dexamethasone 4 mg tablet, down 26% from $0.260 on October 8, 2025. Prices per unit in the table differ many-fold by strength, form and brand, so compare like with like. 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.

Dexamethasone 4 mg tablet (generic)
Maxidex 0.1% eye drops (brand)

$13.22

$0.188

January 2024October 2026

NADAC per unit, October 7, 2026
Strength and form	Brand or generic	Pharmacy cost	30 tablets, or one pen or vial	12-month change
Dexamethasone 0.1% eye drop	Generic	$8.17 per mL	n/a	+9%
Dexamethasone 0.5 mg tablet	Generic	$0.0707 per tablet	$2.12	-26%
Dexamethasone 0.5 mg/5 mL elx	Generic	$0.105 per mL	n/a	+11%
Dexamethasone 0.5 mg/5 mL liquid	Generic	$0.101 per mL	n/a	+14%
Dexamethasone 0.75 mg tablet	Generic	$0.0897 per tablet	$2.69	-25%
Dexamethasone 1 mg tablet	Generic	$0.155 per tablet	$4.66	-14%
Dexamethasone 1.5 mg tablet	Generic	$0.174 per tablet	$5.23	-44%
Dexamethasone 10 mg/mL vial	Generic	$1.16 per mL	n/a	-5%
Dexamethasone 100 mg/10 mL vial	Generic	$0.510 per mL	n/a	-40%
Dexamethasone 120 mg/30 mL vial	Generic	$0.694 per mL	n/a	+2%
Dexamethasone 2 mg tablet	Generic	$0.252 per tablet	$7.56	-25%
Dexamethasone 20 mg/5 mL vial	Generic	$0.238 per mL	$1.19 per vial	+49%
Dexamethasone 4 mg tablet	Generic	$0.193 per tablet	$5.79	-26%
Dexamethasone 4 mg/mL vial	Generic	$0.674 per mL	n/a	-16%

Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price

Is dexamethasone in shortage?

The FDA Drug Shortage Database lists 2 of 19 dexamethasone presentations as limited or unavailable (updated October 6, 2026); the first entry was posted on February 8, 2019. 17 more presentations are on the list as available.

Presentation	Company	Status	Updated
Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate Preservative Free, Injection, 10 mg/1 mL (NDC 63323-506-01)	Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC	Current	October 6, 2026
Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate Preservative Free, Injection, 10 mg/1 mL (NDC 70069-021-25)	Somerset Therapeutics, LLC	Current	September 11, 2026
Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate, Injection, 10 mg/1 mL (NDC 0641-0367-25)	Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.	Current	September 18, 2026
Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate, Injection, 10 mg/1 mL (NDC 55150-304-25)	Eugia US LLC	Current	October 2, 2026
Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate, Injection, 10 mg/1 mL (NDC 63323-516-10)	Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC	Current	October 6, 2026
Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate, Injection, 10 mg/1 mL (NDC 67457-420-10)	Mylan Institutional, a Viatris Company	Current	October 5, 2026
Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate, Injection, 10 mg/1 mL (NDC 70069-025-10)	Somerset Therapeutics, LLC	Current	September 11, 2026
Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate, Injection, 10 mg/1 mL (NDC 76045-0212-10)	Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC	Current	September 15, 2026

Every dexamethasone presentation in the FDA shortage database

Source: FDA Drug Shortage Database via openFDA, updated October 8, 2026

Has dexamethasone been recalled?

The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 31 recalls naming dexamethasone since 2012: 0 Class I (the most serious), 28 Class II, 3 Class III; 3 still ongoing. 23 of them are by firms that FDA's NDC Directory does not list as a maker of dexamethasone 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
February 4, 2026	Class II	SOMERSET THERAPEUTICS LLC	Failed Impurities/Degradation Specifications - OOS impurities result observed during long term stability testing at product expiry (24 months) were above specs …
May 23, 2024	Class II	Eugia US LLC	Failed Impurities/Degradation Specifications: impurity sulfonic acid adduct of dexamethasone phosphate results were above spec.
December 22, 2022	Class II	Pharmacy Innovations not a listed maker	Lack of Assurance of Sterility: FDA inspection revealed insanitary conditions at the facility.
February 21, 2022	Class II	Morton Grove Pharmaceuticals, Inc.	Failed Impurities/Degradation Specifications: higher than permissible levels of unknown impurities were found in the drug product.
December 6, 2021	Class II	Edge Pharma, LLC	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
June 12, 2019	Class II	Infusion Options, Inc.	Lack of Assurance of Sterility
April 2, 2019	Class II	Anderson Compounding Pharmacy, Inc. DBA Anderson … not a listed maker	Lack of sterility assurance.

Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026

What does the dexamethasone label say about other medicines?

The dexamethasone label names 23 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 41 other medicines name dexamethasone. 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
Amphotericin b	drug interactions	Amphotericin B injection and potassium-depleting agents: When corticosteroids are administered concomitantly with potassium-depleting agents (e.g., amphotericin B, diuretics), patients should be observed closely for development of hypokalemia.
Aspirin	drug interactions	Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Agents (NSAIDS): Concomitant use of aspirin (or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents) and corticosteroids increases the risk of gastrointestinal side effects.
Carbamazepine	drug interactions	Drugs which induce cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP 3A4) enzyme activity (e.g., barbiturates, phenytoin, carbamazepine, rifampin) may enhance the metabolism of corticosteroids and require that the dosage of the corticosteroid be increased.
Carfilzomib	warnings and precautions	The risk for venous and arterial thromboembolism increases significantly when dexamethasone is administered with anti-myeloma products (e.g., thalidomide, lenalidomide, pomalidomide, and carfilzomib).
Cholestyramine	drug interactions	Cholestyramine: Cholestyramine may increase the clearance of corticosteroids.
Clarithromycin	drug interactions	Co-administration with other drugs which strongly inhibit CYP 3A4 (e.g., itraconazole, clarithromycin, ritonavir, cobicistat-containing products) may lead to increased plasma concentrations of corticosteroids and potentially increase the risk for systemic corticosteroid side effects.
Cyclosporine	drug interactions	Cyclosporine: Increased activity of both cyclosporine and corticosteroids may occur when the two are used concurrently.
Ephedrine	drug interactions	Ephedrine may enhance the metabolic clearance of corticosteroids, resulting in decreased blood levels and lessened physiologic activity, thus requiring an increase in corticosteroid dosage.
Erythromycin	drug interactions	CYP 3A4 Inhibitors: Concomitant administration of dexamethasone with erythromycin, a moderate CYP 3A4 inhibitor, has the potential to result in increased plasma concentrations of dexamethasone.
Fluorescein	warnings and precautions	The initial prescription and renewal of the medication order of DEXTENZA should be made by a physician only after examination of the patient with the aid of magnification, such as slit lamp biomicroscopy, and, where appropriate, fluorescein staining.
Hydrocortisone	drug interactions	In addition, there have been cases reported in which concomitant use of amphotericin B and hydrocortisone was followed by cardiac enlargement and congestive heart failure.
Indomethacin	drug interactions	Dexamethasone suppression test (DST): False-negative results in the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) in patients being treated with indomethacin have been reported.
Isoniazid	drug interactions	Antitubercular drugs: Serum concentrations of isoniazid may be decreased.
Itraconazole	drug interactions	Co-administration with other drugs which strongly inhibit CYP 3A4 (e.g., itraconazole, clarithromycin, ritonavir, cobicistat-containing products) may lead to increased plasma concentrations of corticosteroids and potentially increase the risk for systemic corticosteroid side effects.

Every other medicine the dexamethasone label names

Medicine named	Section	What the label says
Ketoconazole	drug interactions	Ketoconazole, a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor, has been reported to decrease the metabolism of certain corticosteroids by up to 60%, leading to increased risk of corticosteroid side effects.
Lenalidomide	warnings and precautions	The risk for venous and arterial thromboembolism increases significantly when dexamethasone is administered with anti-myeloma products (e.g., thalidomide, lenalidomide, pomalidomide, and carfilzomib).
Levothyroxine	warnings and precautions	When concomitant administration of corticosteroids and levothyroxine is required, administration of corticosteroid should precede the initiation of levothyroxine therapy to avoid adrenal crisis.
Phenytoin	drug interactions	Drugs which induce cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP 3A4) enzyme activity (e.g., barbiturates, phenytoin, carbamazepine, rifampin) may enhance the metabolism of corticosteroids and require that the dosage of …
Pomalidomide	warnings and precautions	The risk for venous and arterial thromboembolism increases significantly when dexamethasone is administered with anti-myeloma products (e.g., thalidomide, lenalidomide, pomalidomide, and carfilzomib).
Rifampin	drug interactions	Drugs which induce cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP 3A4) enzyme activity (e.g., barbiturates, phenytoin, carbamazepine, rifampin) may enhance the metabolism of corticosteroids and require that the dosage of …
Ritonavir	drug interactions	Co-administration with other drugs which strongly inhibit CYP 3A4 (e.g., itraconazole, clarithromycin, ritonavir, cobicistat-containing products) may lead to increased plasma concentrations of …
Thalidomide	drug interactions	Co-administration with thalidomide should be employed cautiously, as toxic epidermal necrolysis has been reported with concomitant use.
Warfarin	drug interactions	Anticoagulants, oral: Co-administration of corticosteroids and warfarin usually results in inhibition of response to warfarin, although there have been some conflicting reports.

Other labels that name dexamethasone

Check dexamethasone against other medicines

Source: FDA drug label (Dexamethasone Intensol), Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., effective June 6, 2025 (SPL set b15200fb-1826-472b-a907-e677a272513b), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed

What do FAERS reports show for dexamethasone?

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 304,163 reports that list dexamethasone among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 49,353 are coded as a death and 117,148 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

Off Label Use (a use or a product term, not a reaction)23,391
Fatigue17,599
Diarrhoea17,471
Nausea14,549
Plasma Cell Myeloma14,356
Pneumonia14,037
Death (an outcome recorded in the report)13,702
Drug Ineffective (a use or a product term, not a reaction)13,486

Side effects: the label's list and every FAERS reaction

Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026

What else is labeled for the same conditions as dexamethasone?

14 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as dexamethasone or labeled mainly for the same use (asthma), the same class first. Asthma lists all 37 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
Prednisone	Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Herpes and shingles, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Anemia	46 labelers	$0.0643 per tablet 20 mg tablet	No current entry
Hydrocortisone	Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Herpes and shingles, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma	16 labelers	$0.180 per tablet 10 mg tablet	A presentation being discontinued
Methylprednisolone	Osteoarthritis, Allergies, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Herpes and shingles, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Anemia	24 labelers	$0.121 per tablet 4 mg tablet	In shortage
Prednisolone	Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Herpes and shingles, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Anemia	23 labelers	$0.568 per mL 15 mg/5 mL solution	No current entry
Budesonide	Asthma, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis	14 labelers	$0.498 per capsule 3 mg capsule	No current entry
Cortisone	Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Herpes and shingles, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma	1 labeler	n/a	No current entry
Montelukast	Asthma, Allergies	36 labelers	$0.0419 per tablet 10 mg tablet	A presentation being discontinued
Theophylline	Asthma	26 labelers	$0.330 per tablet 300 mg tablet	No current entry

Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as dexamethasone

Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)

How does dexamethasone compare with medicines for the same use?

18 side-by-side pages set dexamethasone beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.

What next?

Alternatives to dexamethasone: 14 medicines for the same use
Other corticosteroids: the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
Dexamethasone side effects: the label's list beside FAERS reports
Dexamethasone shortage record: every presentation, company and date
Check an interaction: what two or more labels say about each other