Prescription and over-the-counter medicine
Selenium sulfide First approved as Selsun
Selenium sulfide (Selsun) is a prescription and over-the-counter medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1951. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 1 generic labeler, and pharmacies paid $0.0141 per mL (Anti-dandruff 1% shampoo) in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the selenium sulfide FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 24, 2026); the NDA 7936 record on Drugs@FDA; every selenium sulfide label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of February 24, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagehelps prevent recurrence of itching, irritation, redness, flaking and scaling associated with dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis
Forms and strengths
- 2.5 mg/100ml
Lotion.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- May 17, 1951 Selsun, Chattem; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 6 first January 21, 1974; 1 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 1 of which 1 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included; 29 more under the over-the-counter monograph, without an application
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.0141 per mL Anti-dandruff 1% shampoo
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 936 through July 30, 2026
What is selenium sulfide used for?
From the label: indications and usagehelps prevent recurrence of itching, irritation, redness, flaking and scaling associated with dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis
Conditions named in the indications of selenium sulfide's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other selenium sulfide labelsFungal infections: INDICATIONS AND USAGE For the treatment of tinea versicolor, seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp, and dandruff.
Source: FDA drug label (Dandruff), H E B, effective February 24, 2026 (SPL set 182ca790-0713-412a-9111-c0cf40f20d02), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for selenium sulfide (Selsun)?
The FDA approved the first generic selenium sulfide on January 21, 1974. 6 generic applications are approved; 1 of them carries 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 selenium sulfide from 1 labeler 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
- 1974 first generic approved
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for selenium sulfide (Selsun)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.0141 per mL (Anti-dandruff 1% shampoo), down 8% from $0.0153 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.
- Anti-dandruff 1% shampoo (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-dandruff 1% shampoo | Generic | $0.0141 per mL | n/a | -8% |
| Medicated dandruff 1% shampoo | Generic | $0.0141 per mL | n/a | -8% |
| Selenium sulfide 2.25% shampoo | Generic | $0.170 per mL | n/a | -26% |
| Selenium sulfide 2.5% lotion | Generic | $0.0781 per mL | n/a | +6% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
What do FAERS reports show for selenium sulfide?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 936 reports that list selenium sulfide among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 23 are coded as a death and 154 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 selenium sulfide?
18 other medicines are given the same way (topical) and in the same FDA class as selenium sulfide or labeled mainly for the same use (fungal infections), the same class first. Fungal infections lists all 33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tolnaftate | Fungal infections | none listed | $0.119 per gram 1% cream | No current entry |
| Clotrimazole | Fungal infections | 13 labelers | $0.133 per gram 1% topical cream | No current entry |
| Miconazole | Fungal infections | none listed | $0.120 per gram 2% topical cream | No current entry |
| Undecylenic acid | Fungal infections | none listed | n/a | No current entry |
| Ketoconazole | Fungal infections | 25 labelers | $0.249 per gram 2% cream | No current entry |
| Ciclopirox | Fungal infections | 14 labelers | $0.169 per gram 0.77% cream | No current entry |
| Nystatin and triamcinolone | Fungal infections | 18 labelers | $0.225 per gram Nystatin-triamcinolone cream | No current entry |
| Terbinafine | Fungal infections | 20 labelers | $0.353 per gram 1% cream | No current entry |
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does selenium sulfide compare with medicines for the same use?
1 side-by-side page set selenium sulfide beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Selenium sulfide side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other