Prescription medicine
Mupirocin Brand names: Pirnuo; first approved as Bactroban
Mupirocin (Bactroban) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1987. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 27 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $0.854 per gram (Mupirocin 2% cream) in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the mupirocin FDA label on DailyMed (effective October 28, 2025, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA); the NDA 50591 record on Drugs@FDA; every mupirocin label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of October 28, 2025; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageMupirocin ointment is indicated for the topical treatment of impetigo due to susceptible isolates of Staphylococcus aureus (S.
Forms and strengths
- 2 g/100g
- 20 mg/g
Ointment; cream.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 31, 1987 Bactroban, Glaxosmithkline; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 13 first November 7, 2003; 12 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 27 of which 27 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.854 per gram Mupirocin 2% cream
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 3 since 2015 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest August 30, 2024
- FAERS reports
- 13,755 through July 30, 2026
What is mupirocin used for?
From the label: indications and usageMupirocin ointment is indicated for the topical treatment of impetigo due to susceptible isolates of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Streptococcus pyogenes (S. pyogenes). Mupirocin ointment is an RNA synthetase inhibitor antibacterial indicated for the topical treatment of impetigo due to susceptible isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes.
FDA pharmacologic class: RNA Synthetase Inhibitor Antibacterial.
Source: FDA drug label (Mupirocin), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA, effective October 28, 2025 (SPL set ff7428fb-9ce9-4743-b58c-01a05424a57a), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for mupirocin (Bactroban)?
The FDA approved the first generic mupirocin on November 7, 2003. 13 generic applications are approved; 12 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 mupirocin from 27 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.
- 1987 earliest approval on file
- 2003 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 mupirocin (Bactroban)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.854 per gram (Mupirocin 2% cream), down 15% from $1.00 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.
- Mupirocin 2% cream (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mupirocin 2% cream | Generic | $0.854 per gram | n/a | -15% |
| Mupirocin 2% ointment | Generic | $0.146 per gram | n/a | -0.8% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has mupirocin been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 3 recalls naming mupirocin since 2015: 0 Class I (the most serious), 3 Class II, 0 Class III; 0 still ongoing. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.
| Started | Class | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 30, 2024 | Class II | Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA | Subpotent Drug |
| April 13, 2022 | Class II | Mckesson Medical-Surgical Inc. Corporate Office | cGMP deviations: Temperature abuse |
| August 13, 2015 | Class II | GlaxoSmithKline, LLC. | Penicillin Cross Contamination and Presence of Foreign Substance. Product was contaminated with penicillin and foreign substances during manufacturing process. |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What do FAERS reports show for mupirocin?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 13,755 reports that list mupirocin among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 942 are coded as a death and 3,638 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?
- Mupirocin side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other