Calcipotriene Topical
Calcipotriene is a topical vitamin D analog used to treat plaque psoriasis, including of the scalp and body, depending on the product.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 12 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
📖 Calcipotriene Topical: Patient Information Guide
A plain-language walkthrough of Calcipotriene Topical — what it treats, how it works, how it’s taken, side effects, warnings and interactions. Tap any section to expand it.
What Calcipotriene Topical is used for
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Calcipotriene topical products treat plaque psoriasis.
- Calcipotriene foam: plaque psoriasis of the scalp and body in adults and children 4 years and older.
- Pellix Topical Solution (Scalp Solution): used on scalp lesions.
How Calcipotriene Topical works
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Calcipotriene is a synthetic form of vitamin D3. It binds to receptors much like natural vitamin D3 does. How this improves psoriasis is not known.
How Calcipotriene Topical is taken (dosage)
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Calcipotriene is applied to the skin only.
- Pellix Scalp Solution is applied twice daily to scalp lesions only, rubbed in gently and completely, and its safety and effectiveness were shown over eight weeks of treatment.
- Comb hair first to remove scales, and wash your hands afterward.
- Follow your prescriber's directions and the product label for any other product.
Calcipotriene Topical side effects in detail
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Most side effects are local skin reactions.
- Redness at the application site
- Pain at the application site
- Itching
- Contact dermatitis (skin irritation)
- Small blisters at the application site
Stop and call your doctor for a sensitivity reaction, excessive irritation on unaffected skin, or raised calcium.
Calcipotriene Topical warnings and precautions
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- Raised blood calcium has occurred. Stop treatment until levels return to normal.
- The foam's propellant is flammable. Avoid fire, flame and smoking during and right after use.
- Avoid eyes and mucous membranes.
- Do not use on the face.
Before taking Calcipotriene Topical
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- Do not use if allergic to any ingredient.
- Do not use with high blood calcium or vitamin D toxicity.
- Pregnancy: human data are lacking; discuss with your doctor.
- Breastfeeding: milk levels are likely low; discuss with your doctor.
- Children: foam is established for ages 4 and older.
- Older adults: studies had too few people 65+ to compare.
Calcipotriene Topical overdose: if you take too much
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Calcipotriene can be absorbed enough to cause effects throughout the body. Excessive use has raised blood calcium. If calcium rises, stop treatment until it returns to normal, and contact your doctor.
Pharmacodynamics: what Calcipotriene Topical does in the body
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In children and teens using the foam, no significant effects were seen on calcium measures such as blood calcium and urine calcium. However, excessive use of topical calcipotriene has raised blood calcium.
Pharmacokinetics: how your body processes Calcipotriene Topical
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Very little calcipotriene foam gets into the blood. In studies, most people had levels too low to measure. Any absorbed drug is turned into inactive substances within 24 hours, by a pathway similar to natural vitamin D.
How to store Calcipotriene Topical
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Store at 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F); excursions permitted to 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F) . Do not freeze.
📄 Written from Calcipotriene Topical’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Every point is grounded in that labeling — nothing is invented. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Calcipotriene Topical
5 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Calcipotriene Topical in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Moderate · 4
- Minor · 1
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
🩺 Calcipotriene Topical: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Calcipotriene Topical — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is this medicine for?
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How do I apply the Pellix scalp solution?
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What side effects should I expect?
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Can I use it on my face?
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Is the foam safe around flames?
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Can I use it if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding?
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Is Calcipotriene Topical available over the counter?
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When was Calcipotriene Topical first available?
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Who makes Calcipotriene Topical?
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💬 Answers drafted from Calcipotriene Topical’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Grounded in that labeling — nothing is made up. How we use AI →
🧰 More about Calcipotriene Topical on HelloPharmacist
💊 Calcipotriene Topical forms and strengths (how it comes)
Calcipotriene Topical is available in 3 forms. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Topical cream, ointment or gel
Inhaler
Topical solution
How this form is used
- Pellix Topical Solution, 0.005% (Scalp Solution), is used on the scalp.
- Pellix: comb hair to remove scaly debris and part the hair before applying.
- Pellix: apply twice daily only to the lesions and rub in gently and completely.
- Pellix: prevent the solution from spreading onto the forehead and keep it well away from the eyes.
- Pellix: avoid uninvolved scalp margins and wash hands thoroughly after use.
📊 Calcipotriene Topical on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Calcipotriene Topical appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
FDA-listed product records by dose form (tablet variants merged) — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
📈 How widely Calcipotriene Topical is used (Medicaid data)
A general measure of how commonly Calcipotriene Topical is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Calcipotriene Topical is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Calcipotriene Topical prescribed? Of the 1,599 medications we measure, Calcipotriene Topical ranks #554 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 65% of them.
Utilization by Calcipotriene Topical product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
calcipotriene 0.05 MG/ML Topical Cream Most dispensed
Summed across the 6 of 14 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 313921
calcipotriene 0.00005 MG/MG Topical Ointment
Summed across the 6 of 12 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 198373
calcipotriene 0.05 MG/ML Topical Solution
Summed across the 1 of 4 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 308865
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Calcipotriene Topical, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 13 of 30 listed Calcipotriene Topical NDCs with Medicaid activity.
🔍 Compare Calcipotriene Topical products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Calcipotriene Topical — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Inhaler | ||||
| 50 mcg/g | Topical | Mayne Pharma × 5 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 50 mcg/g | Topical | Trifluent Pharma LLC | NDA | View NDC → |
| 💊Topical cream, ointment or gel | ||||
| 0.05 mg/g | Topical | Bryant Ranch Prepack | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 50 mcg/g | Topical | Forreal Pharmaceuticals Llc | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 50 mcg/g | Topical | Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc.,USA × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 50 mcg/g | Topical | Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 50 mcg/g | Topical | Golden State Medical Supply, Inc. × 4 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 50 mcg/g | Topical | LEO Pharma Inc. | NDA | View NDC → |
| 50 mcg/g | Topical | Northstar Rx LLC × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 50 mcg/g | Topical | Prasco Laboratories × 3 listings | NDA AUTHORIZED GENERIC | View NDC → |
| 0.05 mg/g | Topical | Sandoz Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.05 mg/g | Topical | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. × 2 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.05 mg/g | Topical | Taro Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 💊Topical solution | ||||
| 0.05 mg/mL | Topical | Akorn | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.05 mg/mL | Topical | Amneal Pharmaceuticals of New York LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.05 mg/mL | Topical | Cosette Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.05 mg/mL | Topical | Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.05 mg/mL | Topical | Novel Laboratories, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.05 mg/mL | Topical | Perfero Pharma, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
Showing 37 of 37 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 37 Calcipotriene Topical NDCs →
📈 Calcipotriene Topical side effects reported to the FDA (FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Calcipotriene Topical — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Calcipotriene Topical in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
🏛️ Calcipotriene Topical FDA approval history
How Calcipotriene Topical went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
🚨 Calcipotriene Topical recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
Source: openFDA drug enforcement (recall) reports.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 29365 4 dose forms · 4 strengths
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Dose form (SCDF) Topical Cream RxCUI 379241In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.05 MG/MLRxCUI 313921 -
Dose form (SCDF) Topical Foam RxCUI 1020034In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.05 MG/MLRxCUI 1020035 -
Dose form (SCDF) Topical Ointment RxCUI 379242In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.00005 MG/MGRxCUI 198373 -
Dose form (SCDF) Topical Solution RxCUI 371186In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.05 MG/MLRxCUI 308865
Look up RxCUI 29365 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
📦 Calcipotriene Topical supply and shortage status
Whether Calcipotriene Topical is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
🏷️ Calcipotriene Topical brand names
🏭 Who makes Calcipotriene Topical: manufacturers and labelers
Calcipotriene Topical drug class (RxNorm)
Calcipotriene Topical belongs to the Vitamin D Analog class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
🔬 Sources for this Calcipotriene Topical page
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How we combine label and product data
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records; we don’t author the underlying clinical facts. We identified 12 FDA-filed SPL label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. The representative label is the starting point for the displayed reference monograph; the 12 largest stored in-scope SPL records, which may include that representative, are compared section by section, and the longest available version of each section is retained. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, product-listed strengths, and product-record counts are aggregated separately from ingredient-matched FDA NDC Directory records; package records listed above are associated with the linked SPL; and the normalized concept hierarchy comes from NLM RxNorm.
Where a section is identified as AI-written, its plain-language text is generated from bounded label evidence. New draft drug pages remain in the admin review queue before first publication. Mayne Pharma is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates; it is not the sole source used for the page.
This is general education, not medical advice — always consult your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and any medical condition. For the exact wording of the linked representative label, view that label on DailyMed; some displayed composite sections may come from other in-scope SPL labels. Learn how we use AI and our data sources & update cadence.