Prescription and over-the-counter medicine
Water Brand names: Pur-Wash, Physicianscare, Medi-First, Insulin, Green
Water (Medi-First) is a prescription and over-the-counter medicine. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 11 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $0.315 per mL (Water for injection vial) in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
- In shortage
Check it at the source: the water FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 24, 2026); every water label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of August 24, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageThis parenteral preparation is indicated only for diluting or dissolving drugs for intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous injection, according to instructions of the manufacturer of the drug to be administered.
Forms and strengths
- 0.983 mg/ml
- 0.983 ml/ml
- 1 ml/ml
- 98.3 ml/100ml
- 100 ml/100ml
- 465 ml/473ml
- 929 g/946ml
- 983 mg/ml
- 1000 ml/1000ml
Injection; injection (solution); solution; irrigant; liquid.
On the market
- Generic approvals
- No generic approved
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 42 of which 11 under generic applications, 33 under brand applications, repackagers included; 24 more under the over-the-counter monograph, without an application
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.315 per mL Water for injection vial
- Shortage (FDA)
- 3 of 17 presentations limited or unavailable updated October 6, 2026
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 12 since 2014 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest April 2, 2026; 3 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 5,095 through July 30, 2026
What is water used for?
From the label: indications and usageThis parenteral preparation is indicated only for diluting or dissolving drugs for intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous injection, according to instructions of the manufacturer of the drug to be administered.
FDA pharmacologic class: Insulin Analog and Prostacycline Vasodilator.
Source: FDA drug label (Sterile Water), REMEDYREPACK INC., effective August 24, 2026 (SPL set 5dd5d148-6e23-41de-bff5-551b2aea9598), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for water (Medi-First)?
No generic water is approved (Drugs@FDA, October 8, 2026).
FDA's NDC Directory lists water from 11 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application and from 33 brand labelers. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for water (Medi-First)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.315 per mL (Water for injection vial), up 212% from $0.101 on October 8, 2025. The survey records the price, not the reason for a change; large moves often follow a new generic or a list-price change. 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.
- Water for injection vial (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bacteriostatic water vial | Generic | $0.192 per mL | n/a | +145% |
| Eye wash irrigating solution | Generic | $0.0288 per mL | n/a | +31% |
| Eye wash solution | Generic | $0.0288 per mL | n/a | +31% |
| Qc eye wash irrigating solution | Generic | $0.0288 per mL | n/a | +31% |
| Water for injection vial | Generic | $0.315 per mL | n/a | +212% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Is water in shortage?
The FDA Drug Shortage Database lists 3 of 17 water presentations as limited or unavailable (updated October 6, 2026); the first entry was posted on November 23, 2021. 14 more presentations are on the list as available.
| Presentation | Company | Status | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bacteriostatic Water For Injection In Plastic Container, Injection, 1 mL/1 mL (NDC 0409-3977-03) | Hospira, Inc., a Pfizer Company | Current | September 22, 2026 |
| Sterile Water For Injection In Plastic Container, Injection, 1 mL/1 mL (NDC 63323-185-10) | Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC | Current | September 15, 2026 |
| Sterile Water For Injection In Plastic Container, Injection, 1 mL/1 mL (NDC 63323-185-20) | Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC | Current | October 6, 2026 |
| Sterile Water For Injection In Plastic Container, Injection, 1 mL/1 mL (NDC 63323-185-50) | Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC | Current | October 6, 2026 |
| Sterile Water In Plastic Container, Irrigant, 1 mL/1 mL (NDC 0264-2101-00) | B. Braun Medical Inc. | Current | September 22, 2026 |
| Sterile Water In Plastic Container, Irrigant, 1 mL/1 mL (NDC 0264-2101-10) | B. Braun Medical Inc. | Current | September 22, 2026 |
| Sterile Water, Injection, 1 mL/1 mL (NDC 0409-4887-10) | Hospira, Inc., a Pfizer Company | Current | September 22, 2026 |
| Sterile Water, Injection, 1 mL/1 mL (NDC 0409-4887-20) | Hospira, Inc., a Pfizer Company | Current | September 22, 2026 |
Source: FDA Drug Shortage Database via openFDA, updated October 8, 2026
Has water been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 15 recalls naming water since 2014: 0 Class I (the most serious), 15 Class II, 0 Class III; 3 still ongoing. 3 of them are by firms that FDA's NDC Directory does not list as a maker of water 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 2, 2026 | Class II | B BRAUN MEDICAL INC | Lack of Assurance of Sterility; potential for leakage from the diaphragm port once the foil is removed. |
| December 22, 2025 | Class II | Baxter Healthcare Corporation | Presence of particulate matter: plastic particles from the bottle rim were observed floating into the solution |
| August 26, 2025 | Class II | B BRAUN MEDICAL INC | Lack of Assurance of Sterility- Potential for fluid leakage from the port due to port misalignment. |
| February 23, 2023 | Class II | Nephron Sc Inc | CGMP Deviations: Potential product carryover. |
| January 12, 2023 | Class II | Nephron Sc Inc | CGMP Deviations: potential for trace amounts of product carryover. |
| April 13, 2022 | Class II | Mckesson Medical-Surgical Inc. Corporate Office | cGMP deviations: Temperature abuse |
| May 3, 2021 | Class II | Pfizer Inc. | Presence of Particulate Matter: particulate matter identified as an insect in one vial. |
| September 6, 2019 | Class II | Pfizer Inc. | Lack of Assurance of Sterility |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What do FAERS reports show for water?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 5,095 reports that list water among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 201 are coded as a death and 1,574 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?
- Other insulin analogs
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Water side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Water shortage record
- every presentation, company and date
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other