Clopidogrel
Clopidogrel is a platelet-blocking (antiplatelet) medicine used to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with acute coronary syndrome, a recent heart attack, a recent stroke, or established peripheral arterial disease.
🧬 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 67 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 →
Clopidogrel (Plavix) is an antiplatelet medicine that makes platelets less sticky, used to prevent heart attacks and strokes in people who have had one or have peripheral arterial disease (narrowed leg arteries); around since about 1997 and available generically, it is often paired with aspirin after a stent. Most people tolerate it well, but bleeding is its main risk, and easier bruising and slow-to-stop nosebleeds are common. Its boxed warning says it works less well in CYP2C19 poor metabolizers, people whose liver cannot activate it properly, which a genetic test can detect. Never stop it on your own, because stopping early raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Clinical pearls
- Avoid omeprazole (Prilosec) and esomeprazole (Nexium) for heartburn, since they significantly weaken clopidogrel’s effect.
- Tell your surgeon and dentist you take it, since it may need pausing about 5 days before, then restarting promptly.
- NSAIDs like ibuprofen raise stomach bleeding risk with it, so acetaminophen is usually the better choice for everyday pain.
- Combining it with warfarin, other antiplatelets or SSRI antidepressants adds bleeding risk, so every prescriber should know you take it.
⚠️ FDA Boxed Warning — the FDA’s strongest safety alert ▾
Clopidogrel may not work as well if your body cannot convert it into its active form. This happens in people who are CYP2C19 poor metabolizers, a genetic difference in how the liver processes the drug.
Poor metabolizers who have acute coronary syndrome or a stent or other procedure (PCI) had higher rates of heart and blood vessel events at recommended doses. Genetic tests can identify this, and your doctor may consider a different treatment. Never stop clopidogrel on your own; talk with your prescriber about any concerns.
Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Clopidogrel, written from its FDA label.
What Clopidogrel is used for
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Clopidogrel tablets are used to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke in these situations:
- Non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (unstable angina or non-ST-elevation heart attack)
- ST-elevation heart attack (STEMI)
- Recent heart attack
- Recent stroke
- Established peripheral arterial disease
Some product labels, including Plavix and certain clopidogrel tablets, say to use it together with aspirin for acute coronary syndrome.
How Clopidogrel works
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Clopidogrel is a prodrug, so the body must first convert it to an active form. That active form binds permanently to the P2Y12 receptor on platelets and blocks the ADP signal that tells platelets to activate and clump.
Because this binding is irreversible, affected platelets stay blocked for the rest of their lifespan.
Clopidogrel dosage
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Clopidogrel is taken by mouth, usually once daily, with or without food. For acute coronary syndrome, a one-time loading dose is often used to start the effect faster. Starting without one delays the full effect by several days. For recent heart attack, recent stroke or peripheral arterial disease, it is taken once daily without a loading dose. Follow your prescriber and label directions.
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Clopidogrel prescribing information (“Dosage and Administration”). Doses are set by your prescriber for your product, condition, kidney function and age — never change a dose on your own.
- Acute coronary syndrome: UA/NSTEMI (non-ST-elevation ACS)
- Single 300 mg oral loading dose, then 75 mg once daily, in combination with aspirin (75 to 325 mg once daily)
- Can be administered with or without food
- Acute coronary syndrome: STEMI
- 75 mg once daily orally, in combination with aspirin (75 to 325 mg once daily), with or without thrombolytics
- May be initiated with or without a loading dose
- Can be administered with or without food
- Acute coronary syndrome (patients who need an antiplatelet effect within hours)
- Single 300 mg oral loading dose, then 75 mg once daily
- Initiating without a loading dose will delay establishment of an antiplatelet effect by several days
- Recent MI, recent stroke, or established peripheral arterial disease
- 75 mg once daily orally
- With or without food; some labels state without a loading dose
- CYP2C19 poor metabolizers
- An appropriate dose regimen for this patient population has not been established
- Poor metabolizer status is associated with diminished antiplatelet response
Read the label’s full dosing text
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION 2. Acute coronary syndrome ( 2.1 ) - UA/NSTEMI: 300 mg loading dose followed by 75 mg once daily, in combination with aspirin (75 to 325 mg once daily) - STEMI: 75 mg once daily, in combination with aspirin (75-325 mg once daily), with or without a loading dose 2. Recent MI, recent stroke, or established peripheral arterial disease: 75 mg once daily ( 2.2 ) 2.1 Acute Coronary Syndrome Clopidogrel can be administered with or without food [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] 1. For patients with non-ST-elevation ACS (UA/NSTEMI), initiate clopidogrel with a single 300 mg oral loading dose and then continue at 75 mg once daily. Initiate aspirin (75 to 325 mg once daily) and continue in combination with clopidogrel [see Clinical Studies (14.1) ]. 2. For patients with STEMI, the recommended dose of clopidogrel is 75 mg once daily orally, administered in combination with aspirin (75 to 325 mg once daily), with or without thrombolytics. Clopidogrel may be initiated with or without a loading dose [see Clinical Studies (14.1) ]. 2.2 Recent MI, Recent Stroke, or Established Peripheral Arterial Disease The recommended daily dose of clopidogrel is 75 mg once daily orally, with or without food [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3 ) ]. 2.3 CYP2C19 Poor Metabolizers CYP2C19 poor metabolizer status is associated with diminished antiplatelet response to clopidogrel. Although a higher dose regimen in poor metabolizers increases antiplatelet response [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.5 ) ], an appropriate dose regimen for this patient population has not been established. 2.4 Use with Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) Avoid using omeprazole or esomeprazole with clopidogrel. Omeprazole and esomeprazole significantly reduce the antiplatelet activity of clopidogrel. When concomitant administration of a PPI is required, consider using another acid-reducing agent with minimal or no CYP2C19 inhibitory effect on the formation of clopidogrel active metabolite [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) , Drug Interactions (7.1) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 ) ].
Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Clopidogrel side effects
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Bleeding is the most commonly reported side effect.
Common side effects
- Bleeding, which is the most commonly reported side effect
- Nosebleeds
- Blood in the urine
- Bruising
- Stomach or intestinal bleeding
When to get medical help
- Call your doctor or get emergency help for bleeding that is severe, unusual or won't stop, including black or bloody stools or bleeding in the brain
- Get help right away for signs of a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
- Tell your doctor right away about any possible signs of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a rare blood clotting problem that has sometimes been fatal
- Contact your doctor before stopping clopidogrel, since stopping early raises the risk of heart attack and stroke
- Tell your doctor about signs of blood loss if you also take other antiplatelet medicines
Clopidogrel warnings and precautions
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- Poor metabolizers: clopidogrel may be less effective if you have reduced CYP2C19 function.
- Bleeding: risk is higher with anticoagulants, other antiplatelets and chronic NSAID use.
- Stopping early: raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. If a pause is needed for surgery with major bleeding risk, it is usually about 5 days.
- TTP: a rare, sometimes fatal blood disorder that has been reported.
- Cross-reactivity: allergic cross-reactions among related medicines (thienopyridines) have been reported.
Clopidogrel interactions
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These can change how well clopidogrel works or raise bleeding risk:
- Omeprazole and esomeprazole: reduce clopidogrel's effect
- Opioids: reduce and delay absorption
- NSAIDs, warfarin, SSRIs, SNRIs and other antiplatelets: raise bleeding risk
- Strong CYP2C19 inducers such as rifampin: raise active drug levels and bleeding risk
- Repaglinide: levels rise sharply
Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label
From the Clopidogrel prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.
- CYP2C19 inducers (e.g., rifampin): Increases levels of clopidogrel active metabolite and increases platelet inhibition, which might potentiate the risk of bleeding. As a precaution, avoid concomitant use of strong CYP2C19 inducers.
- CYP2C19 inhibitors: omeprazole or esomeprazole: Significantly reduce the antiplatelet activity of clopidogrel, including when given 12 hours apart. Avoid concomitant use; if a PPI is required, consider another acid-reducing agent with minimal or no CYP2C19 inhibitory effect.
- Opioids: Coadministration delays and reduces absorption of clopidogrel, resulting in reduced exposure to its metabolites. Consider a parenteral antiplatelet agent in acute coronary syndrome patients requiring morphine or other opioid agonists.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): Coadministration increases the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.
- Warfarin (CYP2C9 substrates): Coadministration increases the risk of bleeding because of independent effects on hemostasis.
- SSRIs and SNRIs: Concomitant administration may increase the risk of bleeding.
- Other antiplatelet agents: Coadministration increases the risk of bleeding due to an additive effect. Promptly evaluate any signs or symptoms of blood loss.
- Repaglinide (CYP2C8 substrates): Clopidogrel increased repaglinide exposures by 3.9-fold to 5.1-fold. Avoid concomitant use; if it cannot be avoided, initiate repaglinide at 0.5 mg before each meal, do not exceed a total daily dose of 4 mg, and increase glucose monitoring as needed.
Read the label’s full interactions text
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS • CYP2C19 inducers: Increases levels of clopidogrel active metabolite and increases platelet inhibition. ( 7.1 ) • Opioids: Decreased exposure to clopidogrel. Consider use of parenteral antiplatelet agent. ( 7.3 ) • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), warfarin, selective serotonin and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, SNRIs): Increases risk of bleeding. ( 7.4 , 7.5 , 7.6 ) • Other Antiplatelet Agents: Increases the risk of bleeding due to an additive effect. ( 7.7 ) • Repaglinide (CYP2C8 substrates): Increases substrate plasma concentrations. ( 7.8 ) 7.1 CYP2C19 Inducers Since clopidogrel is metabolized to its active metabolite partly by CYP2C19, use of drugs that induce the activity of this enzyme would be expected to result in increased drug levels of the active metabolite of clopidogrel. Rifampin strongly induces CYP2C19 resulting to both an increase level of clopidogrel active metabolite and platelet inhibition, which in particular might potentiate the risk of bleeding. As a precaution, avoid concomitant use of strong CYP2C19 inducers [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . 7.2 CYP2C19 Inhibitors Clopidogrel is metabolized to its active metabolite in part by CYP2C19. Concomitant use of drugs that inhibit the activity of this enzyme results in reduced plasma concentrations of the active metabolite of clopidogrel and a reduction in platelet inhibition [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]. Omeprazole or Esomeprazole Avoid concomitant use of clopidogrel with omeprazole or esomeprazole. In clinical studies, omeprazole was shown to reduce significantly the antiplatelet activity of clopidogrel when given concomitantly or 12 hours apart. A similar reduction in antiplatelet activity was observed with esomeprazole when given concomitantly with clopidogrel.
Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Drug Interactions section on DailyMed →
Not a complete list. The label covers the interactions the manufacturer studied or reported, and our own interaction database does not cover every medicine either. Bring your full medication list, including vitamins and herbal products, to your pharmacist.
Before taking Clopidogrel
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- Do not use with active bleeding or a known allergy to clopidogrel
- Tell your doctor about any known CYP2C19 poor metabolizer status
- Tell your care team before surgery, labor or delivery, or spinal anesthesia procedures
- Pregnancy: no drug-linked birth defect or miscarriage risk was identified in available data
- Breastfeeding: discuss with your doctor
- Children: safety and effectiveness not established
- Older adults: no dose change needed
- Kidney impairment: experience is limited; liver impairment: no dose change needed
Clopidogrel overdose
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Too much clopidogrel can cause bleeding complications, and its platelet effect lasts for the life of the platelet. A platelet transfusion may help restore clotting. Seek emergency help or call poison control after any overdose.
What Clopidogrel does in the body
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Clopidogrel's active form blocks platelets from clumping. Effects begin within about 2 hours of a dose, and with daily use the effect reaches steady state in about 3 to 7 days. Platelet function and bleeding time return to baseline about 5 days after stopping.
How your body processes Clopidogrel
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Clopidogrel is absorbed quickly and then converted by the liver into an active form, mainly by CYP2C19. The active form peaks about 30 to 60 minutes after dosing. Clopidogrel's half-life is about 6 hours, and the active form's is about 30 minutes. It leaves the body through urine and feces.
How to store Clopidogrel
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Store at 25° C (77° F); excursions permitted to 15° to 30° C (59° to 86° F) .
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Clopidogrel
309 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Clopidogrel in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 5
- Moderate · 258
- Minor · 46
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.
Clopidogrel: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Clopidogrel — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is clopidogrel for?
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How should I take it?
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Why shouldn't I stop it suddenly?
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What side effects should I expect?
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Can I take heartburn medicine with it?
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Is it safe in pregnancy?
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Is Clopidogrel available over the counter?
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When was Clopidogrel first available?
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Who makes Clopidogrel?
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Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
More about Clopidogrel on HelloPharmacist
Clopidogrel forms and strengths (how it comes)
Clopidogrel is available in 1 form. 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.
Need a version that does not list lactose, a gluten source, a dye or gelatin? Inactive ingredients differ by manufacturer: see Clopidogrel inactive ingredients by manufacturer.
Tablet
How this form is used
- Plavix is a P2Y12 platelet inhibitor used to reduce heart attack and stroke in acute coronary syndrome, recent heart attack, recent stroke or established peripheral arterial disease
- Clopidogrel tablets are used for acute coronary syndrome, recent heart attack, recent stroke or established peripheral arterial disease
- Plavix is taken by mouth once daily; for acute coronary syndrome it may be started with a one-time loading dose
- Plavix should be given together with aspirin for acute coronary syndrome
- Clopidogrel tablets can be taken with or without food
Clopidogrel on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Clopidogrel 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.
35 companies list 66 Clopidogrel product records with the FDA, mostly as tablet; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 1997. Brand names on the directory include Plavix, Clopidogrel bisulfate; the rest are generics.
Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Powder (25) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
How widely Clopidogrel is used (Medicaid data)
A general measure of how commonly Clopidogrel 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 Clopidogrel 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 Clopidogrel prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Clopidogrel ranks #131 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 92% of them.
Utilization by Clopidogrel 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.
clopidogrel 75 MG Oral Tablet Most dispensed
Summed across the 42 of 261 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 309362
clopidogrel 300 MG Oral Tablet
Summed across the 2 of 56 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 749196
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 Clopidogrel, 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 44 of 317 listed Clopidogrel NDCs with Medicaid activity.
Compare Clopidogrel products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Clopidogrel — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Tablet | ||||
| 75 mg | Oral | A-S Medication Solutions × 7 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | American Health Packaging | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 300 mg | Oral | American Health Packaging | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Aphena Pharma Solutions - Tennessee, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Apotex Corp. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 300 mg | Oral | Apotex Corp. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Ascend Laboratories, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Aurobindo Pharma Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 300 mg | Oral | AvPAK | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Bryant Ranch Prepack × 4 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Camber Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 300 mg | Oral | Camber Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Cardinal Health 107, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Dr.Reddy's Laboratories Inc | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 300 mg | Oral | Dr.Reddy's Laboratories Inc | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Dr.Reddy's Laboratories Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 300 mg | Oral | Dr.Reddy's Laboratories Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Legacy Pharmaceutical Packaging, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Macleods Pharmaceuticals Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 300 mg | Oral | Major Pharmaceuticals | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 300 mg | Oral | McKesson Corporation dba SKY Packaging | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | NCS HealthCare of KY, LLC dba Vangard Labs | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | NorthStar RxLLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Novadoz Pharmaceuticals LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | NuCare Pharmaceuticals,Inc. × 4 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | PD-Rx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. × 2 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Preferred Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Preferred Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Proficient Rx LP × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 300 mg | Oral | Proficient Rx LP | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Quallent Pharmaceuticals Health LLC × 2 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Radha Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 300 mg | Oral | Radha Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Redpharm Drug | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Remedyrepack Inc. × 4 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC | NDA | View NDC → |
| 300 mg | Oral | Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC | NDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | ScieGen Pharmaceuticals Inc | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 300 mg | Oral | ScieGen Pharmaceuticals Inc | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Vensun Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 300 mg | Oral | Vensun Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 75 mg | Oral | Westminster Pharmaceuticals, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 300 mg | Oral | Westminster Pharmaceuticals, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
Showing 66 of 66 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 66 Clopidogrel NDCs →
Clopidogrel 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 Clopidogrel — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
The effects most often named in FDA reports that mention Clopidogrel are dyspnoea, myocardial infarction, fatigue; about 82% of the reports were classed as serious. These are voluntary reports, so they show what people report, not how often it happens.
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 Clopidogrel 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.
Clopidogrel FDA approval history
How Clopidogrel went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Clopidogrel was first approved by the FDA in 1997 (Brand: PLAVIX · Sanofi Aventis Us); the first generic version was approved in 2008. It remains available in U.S. pharmacies today.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Clopidogrel 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.
The FDA’s enforcement reports list one Clopidogrel recall since July 2021. It is no longer listed as ongoing. A recall names specific lots from one company, so check the lot number on your own bottle rather than assuming every product is affected; your pharmacist can check whether your supply came from an affected lot.
- Clopidogrel Tablets, USP, 75 mg, 500-count bottle, Rx only, Manufactured for: Macleods Pharma USA, Inc., Plainsboro, NJ 08536, Manufactured by: Macleods Pharmaceutical Ltd., Baddi, Himachal, Pradesh,… Lots: Lot # BCA82021A, Exp 06/2023 FDA record D-0787-2021 →
Source: FDA enforcement (recall) reports, via openFDA; our copy was last updated Sep 24, 2026.
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 32968 1 dose form · 2 strengths
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Dose form (SCDF) Oral Tablet RxCUI 374583In current FDA listings
Look up RxCUI 32968 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.
Clopidogrel supply and shortage status
Whether Clopidogrel 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.
💵 What Clopidogrel costs pharmacies (NADAC benchmark)
The national average invoice price pharmacies pay for the drug itself, from CMS's NADAC survey (data as of Sep 30, 2026). This is a supply-cost benchmark — not a retail price and not what you'd pay at the counter.
| Form | Strength | Pharmacy acquisition benchmark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tablet, Film Coated · Oral | 75 mg | $8.23 per tablet | NDC details & price history |
| Tablet · Oral | 75 mg | $0.047 per tablet | NDC details & price history |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC), a survey of retail pharmacy invoice prices. Benchmarks shown are the range across package sizes of a representative product for each form and strength — other manufacturers' products may differ.
Clopidogrel brand names
Clopidogrel is sold under 2 brand names in the FDA directory — Plavix, Clopidogrel bisulfate. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.
Who makes Clopidogrel: manufacturers and labelers
35 companies list Clopidogrel products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are A-S Medication Solutions, Bryant Ranch Prepack, NuCare Pharmaceuticals,Inc.. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.
…and 11 more on the FDA NDC directory.
Clopidogrel drug class (RxNorm)
Clopidogrel belongs to the P2Y12 Platelet Inhibitor 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 Clopidogrel 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 this page is built
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records and does not author the underlying clinical facts. The plain-language sections are written with AI from the FDA-approved label text and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates. This is general education, not medical advice: always talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medicines. How we build and review drug pages →