Over-the-counter medicine
Salicylic acid
Salicylic acid is an over-the-counter medicine. No generic is listed; pharmacies paid $0.102 per callus removers patch in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- No generic listed
- Over the counter
Check it at the source: the salicylic acid FDA label on DailyMed (effective October 22, 2024); every salicylic acid label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of October 22, 2024; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageFor the treatment of acne.
Forms and strengths
- 0.4 g/g
- 0.5 g/100g
- 0.5 g/100ml
- 1 g/100ml
- 1 mg/ml
- 2 g/100ml
- 2 g/100g
- 3 g/100ml
- 5 mg/ml
- 5 mg/g
- 10 mg/ml
- 15 mg/ml
Liquid; gel; patch; cream; lotion.
On the market
- Generic approvals
- No generic approved
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 484 of which 0 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.102 per patch Callus removers patch
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 1 since 2017 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest February 13, 2017; 3 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 52,581 through July 30, 2026
What is salicylic acid used for?
From the label: indications and usageFor the treatment of acne.
Conditions named in the indications of salicylic acid's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other salicylic acid labelsAcne: Uses For the treatment of acne.
Pain: Uses for the removal of corns and calluses relieves pain by removing corns and calluses
Psoriasis: Helps relieve and prevent recurrence of itching, flaking, and irritation associated with dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis.
Source: FDA drug label (bareMinerals Blemish Rescue Skin-Clearing Loose Foundation Fair 1C), Orveon Global US LLC, effective October 22, 2024 (SPL set 139e2d26-76de-4ad3-a6e6-7465bf5987ad), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for salicylic acid?
No generic salicylic acid is approved (Drugs@FDA, October 8, 2026).
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for salicylic acid?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.102 per Callus removers patch, up 10% from $0.0929 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.
- Callus removers patch (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Callus removers patch | Generic | $0.102 per patch | n/a | +10% |
| Corn remover 40% patch | Generic | $0.102 per patch | n/a | +10% |
| Ft corn remover 40% disc | Generic | $0.102 per unit | n/a | +10% |
| Gnp corn remover 40% patch | Generic | $0.102 per patch | n/a | +10% |
| Liquid corn-callus remover | Generic | $0.264 per mL | n/a | +4% |
| Liquid wart remover 17% liquid | Generic | $0.366 per mL | n/a | +5% |
| Medicated wart remover strip | Generic | $0.102 per unit | n/a | +9% |
| Salicylic acid 27.5% liquid | Generic | $5.61 per mL | n/a | +27% |
| Therapeutic 3% dandruff shmp | Generic | $0.0219 per mL | n/a | -0.9% |
| Wart remover 17% liquid | Generic | $0.366 per mL | n/a | +5% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has salicylic acid been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 4 recalls naming salicylic acid since 2017: 0 Class I (the most serious), 2 Class II, 2 Class III; 0 still ongoing. 3 of them are by firms that FDA's NDC Directory does not list as a maker of salicylic 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 15, 2025 | Class II | Pharmadel, LLC not a listed maker | cGMP deviations |
| June 26, 2024 | Class II | Equibal Inc not a listed maker | CGMP Deviations: Manufactured without following Current Good Manufacturing Practises. |
| August 29, 2023 | Class III | RB Health (US) LLC not a listed maker | Labeling: Label Error on Declared Strength: The incorrect label on the back of the product packaging. |
| February 13, 2017 | Class III | L. Perrigo Company | Failed Impurities/Degradation Specifications: The API for these products had an out of specification result for an organic impurity. |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the salicylic acid label say about other medicines?
The salicylic acid label names 5 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 14 other medicines name salicylic acid. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Acetic acid | drug interactions (prescription label) | Laboratory Tests: 5 Hydroxyindole acetic acid; Effect of Salicylates: False negative with fluorometric test |
| Heparin | drug interactions (prescription label) | Drug: Heparin; Description: Salicylate decreases platelet adhesiveness and interferes with hemostasis in heparin-treated patients |
| Methotrexate | drug interactions (prescription label) | Sulfonylureas Hypoglycemia potentiated Methotrexate Decreases tubular reabsorption; clinical toxicity from methotrexate can result Oral Anticoagulant Increased bleeding II. |
| Probenecid | drug interactions (prescription label) | Drug: Uricosuric Agents; Description: Effect of probenecid, sulfinpyrazone and phenylbutazone inhibited |
| Pyrazinamide | drug interactions (prescription label) | Drug: Pyrazinamide; Description: Inhibits pyrazinamide-induced hyperuricemia |
Other labels that name salicylic acid
- Adapalene
- Aspirin and dipyridamole
- Ethinyl estradiol and etonogestrel
- Ethinyl estradiol and ferrous bisglycinate and levonorgestrel
- Ethinyl estradiol and ferrous fumarate and levonorgestrel
- Ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel
- Ethinyl estradiol and norelgestromin
- Ethinyl estradiol and norgestimate
- Ethinyl estradiol and segesterone
- Tretinoin
Source: FDA drug label (bareMinerals Blemish Rescue Skin-Clearing Loose Foundation Fair 1C), Orveon Global US LLC, effective October 22, 2024 (SPL set 139e2d26-76de-4ad3-a6e6-7465bf5987ad), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for salicylic acid?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 52,581 reports that list salicylic acid among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 632 are coded as a death and 797 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 rose sharply in 2020 (18,984, against a median of 1,088 a year): FAERS counts follow reporting, which news, litigation and label changes can drive, not how often a reaction happens.
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 salicylic acid?
15 other medicines are given the same way (topical) and in the same FDA class as salicylic acid or labeled mainly for the same use (acne), the same class first. Acne lists all 26 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 (topical) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benzoyl peroxide | Acne | none listed | $0.0469 per gram 10% wash | No current entry |
| Sulfur | Acne | none listed | n/a | No current entry |
| Tretinoin | Acne | 19 labelers | $0.506 per gram 0.025% cream | No current entry |
| Adapalene | Acne | 34 labelers | $0.504 per gram 0.3% gel | No current entry |
| Benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin | Acne | 11 labelers | $0.622 per gram 1-5% | No current entry |
| Dapsone | Acne | 16 labelers | $0.664 per gram 5% gel | A presentation being discontinued |
| Adapalene and benzoyl peroxide | Acne | 11 labelers | $0.626 per gram 0.3-2.5% | No current entry |
| Tazarotene | Acne, Psoriasis | 6 labelers | $6.11 per gram 0.1% gel | No current entry |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as salicylic acid
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does salicylic acid compare with medicines for the same use?
10 side-by-side pages set salicylic acid beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to salicylic acid
- 15 medicines for the same use
- Salicylic acid side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other