Glucagon Nasal Powder
Glucagon Nasal Powder (Baqsimi) is a rescue medicine sprayed into the nose to treat severe low blood sugar in adults and children aged 1 year and older who have diabetes.
🧬 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 2 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 →
Baqsimi is glucagon as a nasal powder, a rescue medicine for severe low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in people aged 1 year and older with diabetes, and it works by telling the liver to release its stored sugar (glycogen); on the market since about 2019, it was the first glucagon that needs no injection. Most people handle a dose well, though nausea, vomiting, headache and a runny, irritated nose are common afterward. Call for emergency help every time it is used, and once the person responds, give carbohydrates by mouth. Show family and coworkers where it is kept and how to use it, because someone having a severe low cannot treat themselves.
Clinical pearls
- The powder does not need to be sniffed in, so it still works when the person is passed out.
- Each device holds one dose, so never test-press the plunger, and replace it as soon as one is used.
- If there is no response after 15 minutes, call emergency services again, since it can fail when liver sugar stores are low.
- Tell your prescriber if you take indomethacin, which can block glucagon's effect, or warfarin, whose blood-thinning effect it may boost.
Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Glucagon Nasal Powder, written from its FDA label.
What Glucagon Nasal Powder is used for
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Glucagon Nasal Powder is used for one emergency purpose:
- Baqsimi treats severe hypoglycemia (very low blood sugar) in adults and children aged 1 year and older with diabetes.
How Glucagon Nasal Powder works
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Glucagon attaches to receptors in the liver. This signals the liver to break down stored sugar (glycogen) and release it into the blood. Blood sugar then rises.
This only works if the liver has enough stored glycogen. Glucagon also relaxes smooth muscle in the stomach and intestines.
Glucagon Nasal Powder dosage
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Baqsimi is given in the nose only, as one spray into one nostril from a single-use device.
- Give it as soon as severe low blood sugar is recognized.
- Call for emergency help right away.
- If there is no response after 15 minutes, another dose from a new device may be given while waiting for help.
- When the person responds, give carbohydrates by mouth.
Follow the Instructions for Use and your prescriber's directions.
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Glucagon Nasal Powder 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.
- Adults and pediatric patients aged 1 year and older (severe hypoglycemia)
- 3 mg administered as one actuation of the intranasal device into one nostril
- If there has been no response after 15 minutes, an additional 3 mg dose of BAQSIMI from a new device may be administered while waiting for emergency assistance
Read the label’s full dosing text
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION BAQSIMI is for intranasal use only. ( 2.1 ) The recommended dose of BAQSIMI is 3 mg administered as one actuation of the intranasal device into one nostril. ( 2.2 ) Administer BAQSIMI according to the printed instructions on the shrink-wrapped tube label and the Instructions for Use. ( 2.1 ) Administer the dose by inserting the tip into one nostril and pressing the device plunger all the way in until the green line is no longer showing. The dose does not need to be inhaled. ( 2.1 ) Call for emergency assistance immediately after administering the dose. ( 2.1 ) When the patient responds to treatment, give oral carbohydrates. ( 2.1 ) Do not attempt to reuse BAQSIMI. Each BAQSIMI device contains one dose of glucagon and cannot be reused. Discard any unused portion. ( 2.1 ) If there has been no response after 15 minutes, an additional 3 mg dose may be administered while waiting for emergency assistance. ( 2.2 ) 2.1 Important Administration Instructions BAQSIMI is for intranasal use only. Instruct patients and their caregivers on the signs and symptoms of severe hypoglycemia. Because severe hypoglycemia requires help of others to recover, instruct the patient to inform those around them about BAQSIMI and its Instructions for Use. Administer BAQSIMI as soon as possible when severe hypoglycemia is recognized. Instruct the patient or caregiver to read the Instructions for Use at the time they receive a prescription for BAQSIMI. Emphasize the following instructions to the patient or caregiver: Do not push the plunger or test the device prior to administration. Administer BAQSIMI according to the printed instructions on the shrink-wrapped tube label and the Instructions for Use. Administer the dose by inserting the tip into one nostril and pressing the device plunger all the way in until the green line is no longer showing. The dose does not need to be inhaled. Call for emergency assistance immediately after administering the dose. If there has been no response after 15 minutes, an additional dose of BAQSIMI may be administered while waiting for emergency assistance. When the patient responds to treatment, give oral carbohydrates to restore the liver glycogen and prevent recurrence of hypoglycemia. Do not attempt to reuse BAQSIMI. Each BAQSIMI device contains one dose of glucagon and cannot be reused. Discard any unused portion.
Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Glucagon Nasal Powder side effects
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The most common side effects with Baqsimi are:
Common side effects
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Nose and throat irritation (runny nose, congestion, cough, nosebleed)
- Watery eyes
- Red eyes
- Itchy nose, throat and eyes
When to get medical help
- Get emergency help if you have a serious allergic reaction: widespread rash, trouble breathing, or very low blood pressure.
- Get medical help if symptoms of low blood sugar return or appear after a dose.
- Call for emergency help right after any dose, and again if there is no response after 15 minutes.
- Seek help for a sharp rise in blood pressure.
Glucagon Nasal Powder warnings and precautions
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- Pheochromocytoma: can cause a sharp blood pressure rise, so Baqsimi must not be used.
- Insulinoma: can trigger low blood sugar, so Baqsimi must not be used.
- Serious allergic reactions: include rash, trouble breathing and low blood pressure.
- Low liver glycogen: starvation, adrenal insufficiency or chronic low blood sugar may mean it won't work. Glucose is needed instead.
Glucagon Nasal Powder interactions
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A few medicines can change how Baqsimi works or how your body responds.
- Beta-blockers: may briefly raise pulse and blood pressure.
- Indomethacin: Baqsimi may not raise blood sugar, or may cause low blood sugar.
- Warfarin: Baqsimi may increase warfarin's blood-thinning effect.
Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label
From the Glucagon Nasal Powder prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.
- Beta-blockers: Patients taking beta-blockers may have a transient increase in pulse and blood pressure when given BAQSIMI.
- Indomethacin: In patients taking indomethacin, BAQSIMI may lose its ability to raise blood glucose or may even produce hypoglycemia.
- Warfarin: BAQSIMI may increase the anticoagulant effect of warfarin.
Read the label’s full interactions text
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Beta-blockers : Patients taking beta-blockers may have a transient increase in pulse and blood pressure. ( 7.1 ) Indomethacin : In patients taking indomethacin BAQSIMI may lose its ability to raise glucose or may produce hypoglycemia. ( 7.2 ) Warfarin : BAQSIMI may increase the anticoagulant effect of warfarin. ( 7.3 ) 7.1 Beta-blockers Patients taking beta-blockers may have a transient increase in pulse and blood pressure when given BAQSIMI. 7.2 Indomethacin In patients taking indomethacin, BAQSIMI may lose its ability to raise blood glucose or may even produce hypoglycemia. 7.3 Warfarin BAQSIMI may increase the anticoagulant effect of warfarin.
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 Glucagon Nasal Powder
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- Do not use with pheochromocytoma, insulinoma, or a prior allergy to glucagon or its ingredients.
- Tell your prescriber if you may have low liver glycogen, such as from starvation, adrenal insufficiency or chronic low blood sugar.
- Pregnancy: available data have not shown a drug-related risk.
- Breastfeeding: harm to the baby is unlikely.
- Children: established for ages 1 year and older, not for under 1 year.
- Adults 65 and over: not enough data to know if response differs.
Glucagon Nasal Powder overdose
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Too much glucagon may cause nausea, vomiting, slowed gut movement, and higher blood pressure and pulse. Potassium levels may drop and should be checked. Consider contacting Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.
What Glucagon Nasal Powder does in the body
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Glucagon raises blood sugar by prompting the liver to release stored glucose. It also relaxes smooth muscle in the stomach and bowel.
How your body processes Glucagon Nasal Powder
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After a nasal dose, glucagon reaches peak blood levels in about 15 minutes. Its half-life is about 35 minutes. In children it peaks in 10 to 20 minutes, with a half-life of 21 to 31 minutes. The body breaks it down in the liver, kidneys and blood. A cold or a decongestant did not change how Baqsimi is absorbed.
How to store Glucagon Nasal Powder
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Store at temperatures up to 86°F (30°C) in the shrink wrapped tube provided.
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Glucagon Nasal Powder
256 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Glucagon Nasal Powder in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 2
- Moderate · 215
- Minor · 39
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.
Nutrient depletion considerations
Glucagon Nasal Powder has been associated with lower levels of 1 nutrient in the clinical literature. This does not mean a deficiency will occur — it means these may be worth discussing with your pharmacist or healthcare provider, especially with long-term use.
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — not medical advice. Do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Glucagon Nasal Powder: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Glucagon Nasal Powder — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is Baqsimi for?
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How do I use it?
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What should I do after giving it?
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What side effects should I expect?
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Are there medicines or conditions that matter?
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Can I use it during pregnancy?
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Is Glucagon Nasal Powder available over the counter?
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When was Glucagon Nasal Powder first available?
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Who makes Glucagon Nasal Powder?
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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 Glucagon Nasal Powder on HelloPharmacist
Glucagon Nasal Powder forms and strengths (how it comes)
Glucagon Nasal Powder 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.
Nasal powder
How this form is used
- Baqsimi treats severe hypoglycemia in adults and children aged 1 year and older with diabetes.
- Baqsimi is for use in the nose only, as one spray into one nostril.
- Baqsimi does not need to be inhaled. Press the plunger all the way in until the green line is gone.
- Baqsimi should not be tested or primed before use. Each device is single-use.
- After Baqsimi is given, call for emergency help and give carbohydrates by mouth once the person responds.
Glucagon Nasal Powder on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Glucagon Nasal Powder 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.
2 companies list 3 Glucagon Nasal Powder product records with the FDA, mostly as nasal powder; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 1960. Brand names on the directory include Baqsimi, Gvoke; the rest are generics.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
How widely Glucagon Nasal Powder is used (Medicaid data)
A general measure of how commonly Glucagon Nasal Powder 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 Glucagon Nasal Powder 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 Glucagon Nasal Powder prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Glucagon Nasal Powder ranks #429 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 73% of them.
Utilization by Glucagon Nasal Powder 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.
glucagon 3 MG Nasal Powder
Summed across the 3 of 9 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 2180666
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 Glucagon Nasal Powder, 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 3 of 9 listed Glucagon Nasal Powder NDCs with Medicaid activity.
Compare Glucagon Nasal Powder products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Glucagon Nasal Powder — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Nasal powder | ||||
| 3 mg | Nasal | Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. × 2 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 3 mg | Nasal | Sportpharm LLC | NDA | View NDC → |
Showing 3 of 3 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 3 Glucagon Nasal Powder NDCs →
Glucagon Nasal Powder 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 Glucagon Nasal Powder — 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 Glucagon Nasal Powder 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.
Glucagon Nasal Powder FDA approval history
How Glucagon Nasal Powder went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Glucagon Nasal Powder 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 Glucagon 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.
- Glucagon Emergency Kit for Low Blood Sugar, Glucagon for Injection USP, 1mg per vial, Diluent for Glucagon, 1 mL syringe, Rx only, Manufactured for: Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Naples, FL 34108, Man… Lots: Kit Lots: WB00010, Exp. Date Jan 2027; WB00017, WB00019, Exp. Date Feb 2027; WB00070, Exp. Date Jun 2027; WB00077, WB00078, Exp. Date Jul 2027; WB00130, Exp. Date Nov 2027. FDA record D-0723-2026 →
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 4832 4 dose forms · 7 strengths
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Dose form (SCDF) Auto-Injector RxCUI 2199298No current FDA listingClinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.1 ML glucagon 5 MG/MLRxCUI 21992990.2 ML glucagon 5 MG/MLRxCUI 2199307 -
Dose form (SCDF) Injection RxCUI 1653345No current FDA listing -
Dose form (SCDF) Nasal Powder RxCUI 2180665In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 3 MGRxCUI 2180666 -
Dose form (SCDF) Prefilled Syringe RxCUI 2199309No current FDA listingClinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.1 ML glucagon 5 MG/MLRxCUI 21993100.2 ML glucagon 5 MG/MLRxCUI 2199315
Look up RxCUI 4832 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.
Glucagon Nasal Powder supply and shortage status
Whether Glucagon Nasal Powder 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 Glucagon Nasal Powder 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powder · Nasal | 3 mg | $292.98 each | 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.
Glucagon Nasal Powder brand names
Glucagon Nasal Powder is sold under 2 brand names in the FDA directory — Baqsimi, Gvoke. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.
Who makes Glucagon Nasal Powder: manufacturers and labelers
2 companies list Glucagon Nasal Powder products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sportpharm LLC. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.
Glucagon Nasal Powder drug class (RxNorm)
Glucagon Nasal Powder belongs to the Antihypoglycemic Agent 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 Glucagon Nasal Powder 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. Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 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 →