Over-the-counter medicine
Witch hazel
Witch hazel is an over-the-counter medicine. No generic is listed; pharmacies paid $0.0435 per unit (Hemorrhoidal medicated 50% pad) in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- No generic listed
- Over the counter
Check it at the source: the witch hazel FDA label on DailyMed (effective September 3, 2026); every witch hazel label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of September 3, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagehelps relieve the local itching and discomfort associated with hemorrhoids temporary relief of irritation and burning aids in protecting irritated anorectal areas
Forms and strengths
- 0.5 g
- 2 g
- 5 g
- 50 mg
- 200 mg
- 500 mg
- 0.4 g/ml
- 0.5 g/g
- 0.5 mg/ml
- 3.36 g/28g
- 50 g/100g
- 50 g/100ml
Liquid; cloth; solution; patch; swab.
On the market
- Generic approvals
- No generic approved
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 72 of which 0 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.0435 per unit Hemorrhoidal medicated 50% pad
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 166 through July 30, 2026
What is witch hazel used for?
From the label: indications and usagehelps relieve the local itching and discomfort associated with hemorrhoids temporary relief of irritation and burning aids in protecting irritated anorectal areas
Conditions named in the indications of witch hazel's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other witch hazel labelsPain: Uses Helps relieve pain and swelling from hemorrhoids and childbirth.
Source: FDA drug label (KROGER MEDICATED WIPES HEMORRHOIDAL WIPE WITH WITCH HAZEL AND ALOE), The Kroger Co., effective September 3, 2026 (SPL set 48c1598d-6667-446f-ac90-10ab945d0617), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for witch hazel?
No generic witch hazel 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 witch hazel?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.0435 per unit (Hemorrhoidal medicated 50% pad), up 13% from $0.0384 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.
- Ft witch hazel 86% solution (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ft witch hazel 86% solution | Generic | $0.0076 per mL | n/a | +14% |
| Gnp witch hazel 86% solution | Generic | $0.0076 per mL | n/a | +14% |
| Hemorrhoidal medicated 50% pad | Generic | $0.0435 per unit | n/a | +13% |
| Medi-pads 50% | Generic | $0.0435 per unit | n/a | +13% |
| Qc medicated cooling 50% pads | Generic | $0.0435 per unit | n/a | +13% |
| Witch hazel 86% solution | Generic | $0.0076 per mL | n/a | +14% |
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 witch hazel?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 166 reports that list witch hazel among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 10 are coded as a death and 58 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.
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 witch hazel?
14 other medicines are given the same way (topical) and in the same FDA class as witch hazel or labeled mainly for the same use (pain), the same class first. Pain lists all 80 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lidocaine | Pain | 56 labelers | $0.154 per gram 5% ointment | In shortage |
| Menthol | Pain | none listed | $0.0557 per mL 4% gel | No current entry |
| Diclofenac | Pain | 103 labelers | $0.0813 per gram 1% gel | A presentation being discontinued |
| Bacitracin and neomycin and polymyxin b | Pain | none listed | $0.111 per gram Triple antibiotic ointment | No current entry |
| Menthol and methyl salicylate | Pain | none listed | $0.0365 per gram 15%-10% cream | No current entry |
| Capsaicin | Pain | none listed | $0.207 per gram 0.1% cream | No current entry |
| Benzocaine | Pain | none listed | n/a | No current entry |
| Camphor | Pain | none listed | $0.048 per mL Camphor spirit | No current entry |
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does witch hazel compare with medicines for the same use?
1 side-by-side page set witch hazel beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Witch hazel side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other