Prescription medicine
Disulfiram First approved as Antabuse
Disulfiram (Antabuse) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1951. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 5 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $1.82 per disulfiram 250 mg tablet in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
- Boxed warning
Check it at the source: the disulfiram FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 20, 2024, Sigmapharm Laboratories, LLC); the NDA 7883 record on Drugs@FDA; every disulfiram label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of August 20, 2024; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Disulfiram should never be administered to a patient when he is in a state of alcohol intoxication, or without his full knowledge. The physician should instruct relatives accordingly. Disulfiram should never be administered to a patient when he is in a state of alcohol intoxication, or without his full knowledge. The physician should instruct relatives accordingly.
Used for
From the label: indications and usageDisulfiram is an aid in the management of selected chronic alcohol patients who want to remain in a state of enforced sobriety so that supportive and psychotherapeutic treatment may be applied to best advantage.
Forms and strengths
- 250 mg
- 500 mg
Tablet.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- August 28, 1951 Antabuse, Teva Womens; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 13 first March 31, 1981; 3 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 5 of which 5 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $1.82 per tablet Disulfiram 250 mg tablet
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 2 since 2013 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest June 18, 2015; 1 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 1,124 through July 30, 2026
What is disulfiram used for?
From the label: indications and usageDisulfiram is an aid in the management of selected chronic alcohol patients who want to remain in a state of enforced sobriety so that supportive and psychotherapeutic treatment may be applied to best advantage. Disulfiram is not a cure for alcoholism. When used alone, without proper motivation and supportive therapy, it is unlikely that it will have any substantive effect on the drinking pattern of the chronic alcoholic.
Conditions named in the indications of disulfiram's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
FDA pharmacologic class: Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Inhibitor.
Source: FDA drug label (Disulfiram), Sigmapharm Laboratories, LLC, effective August 20, 2024 (SPL set 40f5497f-fe84-43b2-8ff4-32d59edf3917), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for disulfiram (Antabuse)?
The FDA approved the first generic disulfiram on March 31, 1981. 13 generic applications are approved; 3 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 disulfiram from 5 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
- 1951 earliest approval on file
- 1981 first generic approved
- red ticks recalls
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for disulfiram (Antabuse)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $1.82 per Disulfiram 250 mg tablet, up 1% from $1.80 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.
- Disulfiram 250 mg tablet (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disulfiram 250 mg tablet | Generic | $1.82 per tablet | $54.70 | +1% |
| Disulfiram 500 mg tablet | Generic | $13.31 per tablet | $399.43 | no change |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has disulfiram been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 3 recalls naming disulfiram since 2013: 0 Class I (the most serious), 1 Class II, 2 Class III; 0 still ongoing. 1 of them is by a firm that FDA's NDC Directory does not list as a maker of disulfiram 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 18, 2015 | Class III | Qualitest Pharmaceuticals | Failed Dissolution Specifications: During routine stability testing at the 12 month time point, one product lot was found to be out of specification for … |
| July 2, 2013 | Class II | Aidapak Services, LLC not a listed maker | Labeling: Label Mixup; DISULFIRAM Tablet, 250 mg may be potentially mislabeled as PYRIDOXINE HCL, Tablet, 50 mg, NDC 00904052060, Pedigree: AD22865_22, EXP … |
| March 19, 2013 | Class III | Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | CGMP Deviation; cotton coil is missing in some packaged bottles |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the disulfiram label say about other medicines?
The disulfiram label names 3 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 26 other medicines name disulfiram. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Isoniazid | drug interactions | Patients taking isoniazid when disulfiram is given should be observed for the appearance of unsteady gait or marked changes in mental status, the disulfiram should be discontinued if such signs appear. |
| Metronidazole | contraindications | CONTRAINDICATIONS: Patients who are receiving or have recently received metronidazole, paraldehyde, alcohol, or alcohol-containing preparations, e.g., cough syrups, tonics and the like, should not be given disulfiram. |
| Phenytoin | drug interactions | DISULFIRAM SHOULD BE USED WITH CAUTION IN THOSE PATIENTS RECEIVING PHENYTOIN AND ITS CONGENERS, SINCE THE CONCOMITANT ADMINISTRATION OF THESE TWO DRUGS CAN LEAD TO PHENYTOIN INTOXICATION. |
Other labels that name disulfiram
Source: FDA drug label (Disulfiram), Sigmapharm Laboratories, LLC, effective August 20, 2024 (SPL set 40f5497f-fe84-43b2-8ff4-32d59edf3917), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for disulfiram?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 1,124 reports that list disulfiram among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 113 are coded as a death and 531 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 disulfiram?
2 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as disulfiram or labeled mainly for the same use (alcohol use disorder), the same class first. Alcohol use disorder lists all 5 medicines labeled for it, by any route. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naltrexone | Alcohol use disorder | 21 labelers | $1.14 per tablet 50 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Acamprosate | Alcohol use disorder | 10 labelers | $0.589 per tablet 333 mg tablet | No current entry |
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Disulfiram side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other