Prescription medicine
Folic acid Brand names: Quiofic
Folic acid (Quiofic) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1947. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 29 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $0.0201 per folic acid 1 mg tablet in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the folic acid FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 24, 2026, Rising Pharma Holdings, Inc.); the NDA 6135 record on Drugs@FDA; every folic acid label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of July 24, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageFolic acid, USP is effective in the treatment of megaloblastic anemias due to a deficiency of folic acid, USP (as may be seen in tropical or nontropical sprue) and in anemias of nutritional origin, pregnancy, infancy, or childhood.
Forms and strengths
- 1 mg
- 1 mg/5ml
- 5 mg/ml
Tablet; solution; injection (solution).
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- June 2, 1947 Folic Acid, Lilly; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 34 first December 23, 1971; 10 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 31 of which 29 under generic applications, 1 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.0201 per tablet Folic acid 1 mg tablet
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 3 since 2012 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest January 26, 2022; 25 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 247,883 through July 30, 2026
What is folic acid used for?
From the label: indications and usageFolic acid, USP is effective in the treatment of megaloblastic anemias due to a deficiency of folic acid, USP (as may be seen in tropical or nontropical sprue) and in anemias of nutritional origin, pregnancy, infancy, or childhood.
Source: FDA drug label (Folic Acid), Rising Pharma Holdings, Inc., effective July 24, 2026 (SPL set 0baa10dd-6d1d-4946-8236-566451132da3), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for folic acid (Quiofic)?
The FDA approved the first generic folic acid on December 23, 1971. 34 generic applications are approved; 10 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 folic acid from 29 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application and from 1 brand labeler. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
- 1947 earliest approval on file
- 1971 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 folic acid (Quiofic)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.0201 per Folic acid 1 mg tablet, down 11% from $0.0226 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.
- Folic acid 1 mg tablet (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folic acid 1 mg tablet | Generic | $0.0201 per tablet | $0.604 | -11% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has folic acid been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 28 recalls naming folic acid since 2012: 0 Class I (the most serious), 26 Class II, 2 Class III; 1 still ongoing. 25 of them are by firms that FDA's NDC Directory does not list as a maker of folic acid 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 2022 | Class II | Olympia Compounding Pharmacy dba Olympia Pharmacy not a listed maker | Lack of assurance of sterility. |
| March 7, 2022 | Class II | TMC Acquisition LLC dba Tailor Made Compounding not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility |
| January 26, 2022 | Class II | CARDINAL HEALTHCARE | CGMP Deviations: Products were exposed to temperatures outside of the products labeled storage conditions. |
| August 13, 2021 | Class II | First Royal Care Co. LLC, dba Red Mountain Compounding … not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility: FDA inspection raised sterility assurance concerns |
| June 19, 2019 | Class II | RXQ Compounding LLC not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility |
| December 17, 2018 | Class II | Promise Pharmacy, LLC not a listed maker | Lack of sterility assurance. |
| August 21, 2018 | Class II | Auro Pharmacies, Inc. not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility: Inadequate processes and equipment to assure the sterility of products intended to be sterile. |
| April 18, 2017 | Class II | Key Pharmacy and Compounding Center not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility: The firm is recalling sterile compounded drugs within expiry due to lack of assurance of sterility. |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the folic acid label say about other medicines?
The folic acid label names 16 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Carbamazepine | drug interactions | Enzyme-inducing anticonvulsants such as phenytoin, primidone, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and the broader anticonvulsant class increase hepatic folate metabolism, inhibit intestinal folate-processing enzymes, raise gastrointestinal pH, or displace folate from serum proteins, collectively leading to decreased folate … |
| Cholestyramine | drug interactions | Additional agents such as pentamidine, antacids, cholestyramine, colestipol, and H 2 blockers impair gastrointestinal folate uptake through pH elevation, transporter inhibition, or binding of dietary folate. |
| Colestipol | drug interactions | Additional agents such as pentamidine, antacids, cholestyramine, colestipol, and H 2 blockers impair gastrointestinal folate uptake through pH elevation, transporter inhibition, or binding of dietary folate. |
| Cycloserine | drug interactions | Valproate and sulfasalazine primarily reduce intestinal folate absorption or interfere with folate-dependent metabolic pathways, while isoniazid and cycloserine reduce folate utilization through metabolic disruption. |
| Isoniazid | drug interactions | Valproate and sulfasalazine primarily reduce intestinal folate absorption or interfere with folate-dependent metabolic pathways, while isoniazid and cycloserine reduce folate utilization through metabolic disruption. |
| Methotrexate | drug interactions | Folate deficiency may result from increased loss of folate, as in renal dialysis and/or interference with metabolism (e.g., folic acid antagonists such as methotrexate); the administration of anticonvulsants, such as diphenylhydantoin, primidone, and barbiturates; … |
| Nitrofurantoin | drug interactions | … barbiturates; alcohol consumption and, especially, alcoholic cirrhosis; and the administration of pyrimethamine and nitrofurantoin. |
| Nitrous oxide | drug interactions | Nitrous oxide indirectly decreases folate activity by inactivating vitamin B12 and downstream methylation pathways, while oral contraceptives increase folate turnover and urinary loss. |
| Phenobarbital | drug interactions | Enzyme-inducing anticonvulsants such as phenytoin, primidone, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and the broader anticonvulsant class increase hepatic folate metabolism, inhibit intestinal folate-processing enzymes, raise gastrointestinal pH, or displace folate from serum proteins, collectively leading to decreased folate … |
| Phenytoin | drug interactions | A patient whose epilepsy is completely controlled by phenytoin may require increased doses to prevent convulsions if folic acid is given. |
| Primidone | drug interactions | Folate deficiency may result from increased loss of folate, as in renal dialysis and/or interference with metabolism (e.g., folic acid antagonists such as methotrexate); the administration of anticonvulsants, such as diphenylhydantoin, primidone, and barbiturates; … |
| Pyrimethamine | drug interactions | … primidone, and barbiturates; alcohol consumption and, especially, alcoholic cirrhosis; and the administration of pyrimethamine and nitrofurantoin. |
| Sulfasalazine | drug interactions | Valproate and sulfasalazine primarily reduce intestinal folate absorption or interfere with folate-dependent metabolic pathways, while isoniazid and cycloserine reduce folate utilization through metabolic disruption. |
| Tetracycline | drug interactions | False low serum and red cell folate levels may occur if the patient has been taking antibiotics, such as tetracycline, which suppress the growth of Lactobacillus casei. |
Every other medicine the folic acid label names
| Medicine named | Section | What the label says |
|---|---|---|
| Triamterene | drug interactions | Several antifolate agents, including trimethoprim, pyrimethamine, methotrexate, and triamterene, directly inhibit dihydrofolate reductase, decreasing the formation of active folate derivatives. |
| Trimethoprim | drug interactions | Several antifolate agents, including trimethoprim, pyrimethamine, methotrexate, and triamterene, directly inhibit dihydrofolate reductase, decreasing the formation of active folate derivatives. |
Source: FDA drug label (Folic Acid), Rising Pharma Holdings, Inc., effective July 24, 2026 (SPL set 0baa10dd-6d1d-4946-8236-566451132da3), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for folic acid?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 247,883 reports that list folic acid among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 23,149 are coded as a death and 89,888 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 next?
- Folic acid side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other