Dobutamine
Dobutamine is an intravenous (IV) heart medicine used in a hospital for short-term support of the heart’s pumping strength when the heart cannot pump well because of organic heart disease or after cardiac surgery.
🧬 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 →
Dobutamine is an IV medicine that stimulates the heart's beta-receptors so a weakened heart squeezes harder, giving short-term hospital support after heart surgery or when heart disease leaves it unable to pump well; it is an intensive care standby, on the U.S. market since about 1992 and available as a generic. Nurses track heart rate and blood pressure and adjust the drip, and what people notice most is a faster or pounding heartbeat, sometimes nausea or headache, which usually eases at a lower rate. Speak up at once about chest pain, a racing or irregular heartbeat, or shortness of breath. It has not been shown safe or effective for long-term heart failure treatment.
Clinical pearls
- Mention asthma, sulfite sensitivity or a corn allergy, since some products contain sulfites and many come premixed in corn-derived dextrose.
- Make sure the team knows if you take entacapone for Parkinson's, since it can push heart rate up and trigger irregular rhythms.
- Dobutamine must not be used with hypertrophic subaortic stenosis (thickened heart muscle blocking outflow), so share that diagnosis.
- Report pain, redness or swelling at the IV site promptly, as dobutamine can rarely damage the surrounding skin.
Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Dobutamine, written from its FDA label.
What Dobutamine is used for
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Dobutamine is used for short-term heart support in a hospital setting.
- Short-term inotropic support (stronger heart pumping) in cardiac decompensation due to depressed contractility from organic heart disease.
- The same support when depressed contractility follows cardiac surgery.
- These uses apply to the Dobutamine, Dobutamine Hydrochloride, Dobutamine Hydrochloride in Dextrose and Dobutamine in Dextrose IV injection products.
- Not shown to be safe or effective for long-term treatment of congestive heart failure.
How Dobutamine works
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Dobutamine is a direct-acting inotropic agent. It stimulates beta-receptors in the heart so the heart muscle squeezes harder.
It usually increases stroke volume (blood pumped per beat) without a marked rise in heart rate. It does not cause release of norepinephrine.
Dobutamine dosage
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Dobutamine is given by IV infusion in a healthcare setting. It is not taken by mouth.
- Infusion starts low and is adjusted every few minutes based on your response.
- Your team watches blood pressure, urine flow, heart rate and extra heartbeats, and often other heart measurements.
- The effective rate varies widely between patients.
- Some Dobutamine injection products must be diluted before use. Diluted IV solution should be used within 24 hours.
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Dobutamine 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.
- Dobutamine infusion, initial dosing
- Infusion of dobutamine should be started at a low rate (0.5 mcg/kg/min to 1 mcg/kg/min) and titrated at intervals of a few minutes, guided by the patient's response
- Dobutamine infusion, usual optimal infusion rates
- In reported trials, the optimal infusion rates have varied from patient to patient, usually 2 mcg/kg/min to 20 mcg/kg/min but sometimes slightly outside of this range
- Maximum: On rare occasions, infusion rates up to 40 mcg/kg/min have been required to obtain the desired effect
Read the label’s full dosing text
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Note - Do not add dobutamine to 5% Sodium Bicarbonate Injection or to any other strongly alkaline solution. Because of potential physical incompatibilities, it is recommended that dobutamine not be mixed with other drugs in the same solution. Dobutamine should not be used in conjunction with other agents or diluents containing both sodium bisulfite and ethanol. Preparation and Stability At the time of administration, dobutamine must be further diluted in an IV container to at least a 50 mL solution using one of the following intravenous solutions as a diluent: 5% Dextrose Injection, 5% Dextrose and 0.45% Sodium Chloride Injection, 5% Dextrose and 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, 10% Dextrose Injection, Isolyte ® M with 5% Dextrose Injection, Lactated Ringer’s Injection, 5% Dextrose in Lactated Ringer’s Injection, Normosol ® -M in D5-W, 20% Osmitrol ® in Water for Injection, 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, or Sodium Lactate Injection. Intravenous solutions should be used within 24 hours. Recommended Dosage Infusion of dobutamine should be started at a low rate (0.5 to 1 mcg/kg/min) and titrated at intervals of a few minutes, guided by the patient’s response, including systemic blood pressure, urine flow, frequency of ectopic activity, heart rate and (whenever possible) measurements of cardiac output, central venous pressure, and/or pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. In reported trials, the optimal infusion rates have varied from patient to patient, usually 2 to 20 mcg/kg/min but sometimes slightly outside of this range. On rare occasions, infusion rates up to 40 mcg/kg/min have been required to obtain the desired effect. Rates of infusion (mL/h) for dobutamine concentrations of 500 mcg/mL, 1000 mcg/mL, and 2000 mcg/mL necessary to attain various delivery rates of dobutamine (mcg/kg/min) for patients of different weights are given in Table 1.
Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Dobutamine side effects
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Most side effects relate to the heart and blood pressure and depend on the dose.
Common side effects
- Faster heart rate
- Higher blood pressure (especially the top number)
- Extra or premature heartbeats
- Nausea
- Headache
- Chest pain or palpitations
- Shortness of breath
When to get medical help
- Tell your care team right away about chest pain, a racing or irregular heartbeat, or shortness of breath.
- Report a sudden drop in blood pressure, such as dizziness or faintness.
- Report rash, fever or wheezing, which can be signs of an allergic reaction.
- Report pain, redness, swelling or skin changes at the IV site. Rarely, skin tissue damage has occurred.
- Sulfite-related reactions, including severe breathing problems, can occur in susceptible people, especially those with asthma.
Tell your care team right away about a big blood pressure drop, allergic symptoms, or pain, swelling or skin changes at the IV site.
Dobutamine warnings and precautions
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- Marked rises in heart rate or blood pressure can occur, especially with atrial fibrillation or existing high blood pressure.
- It may cause or worsen extra heartbeats from the lower heart chambers.
- Allergic-type reactions, including sulfite reactions, have been reported.
- Dextrose solutions should not go through the same set as blood.
- IV fluids can cause fluid overload and low potassium.
- Studies do not extend beyond 48 hours.
Dobutamine interactions
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Dobutamine has a few notable interactions and compatibility issues.
- COMT inhibitors such as entacapone: may raise heart rate, cause arrhythmias and change blood pressure.
- Nitroprusside: together they usually give higher cardiac output and lower pulmonary wedge pressure.
- Strongly alkaline solutions such as sodium bicarbonate: must not be mixed with dobutamine.
- Agents containing both sodium bisulfite and ethanol: should not be used together.
Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label
From the Dobutamine prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.
- Digitalis preparations, furosemide, spironolactone, lidocaine, glyceryl trinitrate, isosorbide dinitrate, morphine, atropine, heparin, protamine, potassium chloride, folic acid, and acetaminophen: There was no evidence of drug interactions in clinical studies in which dobutamine hydrochloride was administered concurrently with these drugs.
- Nitroprusside: Preliminary studies indicate that concomitant use with dobutamine results in a higher cardiac output and, usually, a lower pulmonary wedge pressure than when either drug is used alone.
- Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors (e.g., entacapone): Concomitant use with dobutamine may result in increased heart rate, arrhythmias, and changes in blood pressure.
Read the label’s full interactions text
Drug Interactions There was no evidence of drug interactions in clinical studies in which dobutamine hydrochloride was administered concurrently with other drugs, including digitalis preparations, furosemide, spironolactone, lidocaine, glyceryl trinitrate, isosorbide dinitrate, morphine, atropine, heparin, protamine, potassium chloride, folic acid, and acetaminophen. Preliminary studies indicate that the concomitant use of dobutamine and nitroprusside results in a higher cardiac output and, usually, a lower pulmonary wedge pressure than when either drug is used alone. Concomitant use of dobutamine and catechol- O -methyltranferase (COMT) inhibitors (e.g., entacapone) may result in increased heart rate, arrhythmias, and changes in blood pressure.
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 Dobutamine
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- Must not be used with idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis.
- Must not be used after a prior allergic reaction to dobutamine.
- Dextrose-containing products may not be suitable with a known corn allergy.
- Sulfite sensitivity and asthma raise the risk of allergic-type reactions.
- Some premixed containers may be inappropriate for children under 30 kg.
Dobutamine overdose
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Overdose is rare. It can cause nausea, vomiting, tremor, anxiety, palpitations, headache, chest pain, high or low blood pressure and dangerous heart rhythms. Treatment includes stopping the infusion and supporting breathing and circulation. Poison Control can give guidance.
What Dobutamine does in the body
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Dobutamine strengthens heart contraction and usually increases stroke volume and cardiac output. Heart rate usually rises only modestly, though fast heartbeat can occur. It usually lowers resistance in the blood vessels. It also speeds conduction between the upper and lower heart chambers.
How your body processes Dobutamine
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Dobutamine starts working within one to two minutes. Peak effect at a given rate can take up to ten minutes. Its plasma half-life is about two minutes. It is broken down by methylation and conjugation and leaves the body in urine as conjugates.
How to store Dobutamine
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Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F).
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Dobutamine
17 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Dobutamine in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 1
- Moderate · 7
- Minor · 9
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.
Dobutamine: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Dobutamine — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is dobutamine for?
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How will I receive it?
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What side effects should I expect?
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When should I speak up right away?
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Do I need to tell the team about allergies?
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Does it interact with other medicines?
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Is Dobutamine available over the counter?
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When was Dobutamine first available?
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Who makes Dobutamine?
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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 Dobutamine on HelloPharmacist
Dobutamine forms and strengths (how it comes)
Dobutamine 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 Dobutamine inactive ingredients by manufacturer.
Injection
How this form is used
- Dobutamine Hydrochloride in Dextrose and Dobutamine in Dextrose are used for short-term inotropic support in cardiac decompensation from depressed contractility.
- Dobutamine and Dobutamine Hydrochloride injections are used for the same short-term purpose when IV therapy is needed.
- Dobutamine Hydrochloride in Dextrose is given through an IV catheter or needle, with an electronic infusion device recommended to control the flow rate.
- Dobutamine Hydrochloride in Dextrose may turn pink from slight oxidation, with no significant loss of potency.
- Dobutamine Injection and Dobutamine concentrate must be diluted in an IV container to at least 50 mL before use, and diluted IV solution should be used within 24 hours.
Dobutamine on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Dobutamine 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.
5 companies list 14 Dobutamine product records with the FDA, mostly as injection; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 1978. Brand names on the directory include Dobutamine Hydrochloride in Dextrose, Dobutamine in Dextrose; the rest are generics.
Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Powder (1) — 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 Dobutamine is used (Medicaid data)
A general measure of how commonly Dobutamine 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 Dobutamine 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 Dobutamine prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Dobutamine ranks #1,044 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 35% of them.
Utilization by Dobutamine 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.
20 ML dobutamine 12.5 MG/ML Injection Most dispensed
Summed across the 6 of 12 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 1812168
250 ML dobutamine 4 MG/ML Injection
Summed across the 1 of 6 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 309987
250 ML dobutamine 2 MG/ML Injection
Summed across the 1 of 6 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 309986
250 ML dobutamine 1 MG/ML Injection
Summed across the 2 of 8 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 309985
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 Dobutamine, 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 10 of 32 listed Dobutamine NDCs with Medicaid activity.
Compare Dobutamine products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Dobutamine — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Injection | ||||
| 100 mg/100 mL | Intravenous | Baxter Healthcare Corporation | NDA | View NDC → |
| 200 mg/100 mL | Intravenous | Baxter Healthcare Corporation | NDA | View NDC → |
| 400 mg/100 mL | Intravenous | Baxter Healthcare Corporation | NDA | View NDC → |
| 100 mg/100 mL | Intravenous | HF Acquisition Co. LLC, DBA HealthFirst | NDA | View NDC → |
| 12.5 mg/mL | Intravenous | HF Acquisition Co LLC, DBA HealthFirst | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 100 mg/100 mL | Intravenous | HF Acquisition Co LLC, DBA HealthFirst × 2 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 200 mg/100 mL | Intravenous | HF Acquisition Co LLC, DBA HealthFirst | NDA | View NDC → |
| 12.5 mg/mL | Intravenous | Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 12.5 mg/mL | Intravenous | Hospira, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 100 mg/100 mL | Intravenous | Hospira, Inc. | NDA | View NDC → |
| 200 mg/100 mL | Intravenous | Hospira, Inc. | NDA | View NDC → |
| 400 mg/100 mL | Intravenous | Hospira, Inc. | NDA | View NDC → |
| 250 mg/20 mL | Intravenous | Slate Run Pharmaceuticals | ANDA | View NDC → |
Showing 14 of 14 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 14 Dobutamine NDCs →
Dobutamine 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 Dobutamine — 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 Dobutamine 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.
Dobutamine FDA approval history
How Dobutamine went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Dobutamine 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 Dobutamine recall since July 2021. It is still 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.
- DOBUTamine Injection, USP, 250 mg/20 mL (12.5 mg/mL), 20 mL per Single-dose Vial, carton of 10 Fliptop Vials, Rx only, For Intravenous Use Only, Made in Italy, Distributed by Hospira, Inc., Lake Fore… Lots: Lot KA5023, exp 02/28/2026 FDA record D-0489-2025 →
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 3616 2 dose forms · 6 strengths
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Dose form (SCDF) Injectable Solution RxCUI 374370In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 12.5 MG/MLRxCUI 228352950 MG/MLRxCUI 252860 -
Dose form (SCDF) Injection RxCUI 1812167In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 20 ML dobutamine 12.5 MG/MLRxCUI 1812168250 ML dobutamine 1 MG/MLRxCUI 309985250 ML dobutamine 2 MG/MLRxCUI 309986250 ML dobutamine 4 MG/MLRxCUI 309987
Look up RxCUI 3616 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.
Dobutamine supply and shortage status
Whether Dobutamine 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.
Dobutamine brand names
Dobutamine is sold under 2 brand names in the FDA directory — Dobutamine Hydrochloride in Dextrose, Dobutamine in Dextrose. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.
Who makes Dobutamine: manufacturers and labelers
5 companies list Dobutamine products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are HF Acquisition Co LLC, DBA HealthFirst, Hospira, Inc., Baxter Healthcare Corporation. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.
Dobutamine drug class (RxNorm)
Dobutamine belongs to the beta-Adrenergic Agonist 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 Dobutamine 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. HF Acquisition Co LLC, DBA HealthFirst 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 →