Rivastigmine Brand names: Exelon

What is rivastigmine used for?

From the label: indications and usage

Rivastigmine tartrate capsules are an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor indicated for treatment of: Mild-to-moderate dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (AD) ( 1.1 ) Mild-to-moderate dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) ( 1.2 ) 1.1 Alzheimer’s Disease Rivastigmine tartrate capsules are indicated for the treatment of mild-to-moderate dementia of the Alzheimer's type (AD). 1.2 Parkinson’s Disease Dementia Rivastigmine tartrate capsules are indicated for the treatment of mild-to-moderate dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

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

• Alzheimer's disease

FDA pharmacologic class: Cholinesterase Inhibitor.

What does the patient leaflet for rivastigmine say first?

The FDA-approved Medication Guide or Patient Information that comes with the medicine, in its own words.

From the patient leaflet: What should I avoid while using EXELON PATCH?

Do not touch your eyes after you touch the EXELON PATCH. In case of accidental contact with your eyes or if your eyes become red after handling the patch, rinse immediately with plenty of water and seek medical advice if symptoms do not resolve. • EXELON PATCH can cause drowsiness, dizziness, weakness, or fainting. Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how EXELON PATCH affects you. • Avoid exposure to heat sources, such as excessive sunlight, saunas, or sunrooms for long periods of time.

From the patient leaflet: How should I store EXELON PATCH?

Store EXELON PATCH between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C). • Keep EXELON PATCH in the sealed pouch until ready to use. Keep EXELON PATCH and all medicines out of the reach of children.

Is there a generic for rivastigmine (Exelon)?

The FDA approved the first generic rivastigmine on October 22, 2007. 16 generic applications are approved; 13 of them carry a current (not discontinued) marketing status in Drugs@FDA; that status is not evidence that the generic is on sale. Drugs@FDA also holds 1 tentative approval: the FDA found the generic approvable, but patents or exclusivity keep it from final approval for now.

FDA's NDC Directory lists rivastigmine from 18 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application and from 2 brand labelers. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.

What do pharmacies pay for rivastigmine (Exelon)?

In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.164 per Rivastigmine 1.5 mg capsule, down 11% from $0.184 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.

Is rivastigmine in shortage?

No rivastigmine presentation is listed as in shortage in the FDA Drug Shortage Database (read October 8, 2026); its 1 record is all marked to be discontinued, the latest updated September 18, 2026. ASHP keeps a separate shortage list, which can differ.

Every rivastigmine presentation in the FDA shortage database

Has rivastigmine been recalled?

The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 2 recalls naming rivastigmine since 2015: 0 Class I (the most serious), 1 Class II, 1 Class III; 0 still ongoing. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.

What does the rivastigmine label say about other medicines?

The rivastigmine label names 4 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.

Check rivastigmine against other medicines

What do FAERS reports show for rivastigmine?

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 19,159 reports that list rivastigmine among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 4,813 are coded as a death and 6,944 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

• 954
• 969
• 1,013
• 878
• 1,105
• 949
• 976
• 1,022
• 1,059
• 1,398
• 744

• 2016
• 2017
• 2018
• 2019
• 2020
• 2021
• 2022
• 2023
• 2024
• 2025
• 2026

The most reported reactions

• Death (an outcome recorded in the report)2,349
• Fall1,792
• Hallucination (named in the label)1,476
• Confusional State1,349
• Drug Ineffective (a use or a product term, not a reaction)974
• Vomiting (named in the label)933
• Nausea (named in the label)877
• Dizziness (named in the label)827

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

What else is labeled for the same conditions as rivastigmine?

4 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as rivastigmine or labeled mainly for the same use (alzheimer's disease), the same class first. Alzheimer's disease lists all 7 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.

Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as rivastigmine

How does rivastigmine compare with medicines for the same use?

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

• Donepezil
• Galantamine
• Memantine

What next?

Alternatives to rivastigmine

4 medicines for the same use

Other cholinesterase inhibitors

the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics

Rivastigmine side effects

the label's list beside FAERS reports

Rivastigmine shortage record

every presentation, company and date

Check an interaction

what two or more labels say about each other