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Pilocarpine

Pilocarpine is a muscarinic cholinergic agonist used as eye drops for glaucoma, raised eye pressure and presbyopia (age-related trouble with near vision), and as tablets for dry mouth from radiation to the head and neck or Sjogren's syndrome.

Brand names SalagenPilocarIsoptocarpineVuityQlosi
Drug classes Cholinergic Agonists
Rx Forms 2
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Reviewed by Last reviewed Jul 10, 2026 Content updated Oct 2, 2026
🧬 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 7 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 →

How we combine label and product data →
Other forms & routes:
Ophthalmic
Pilocarpine at a glance The quick version — the full detail is in the Patient Information Guide below.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
The Pharmacist’s Take By · Clinical pharmacist · Written

Pilocarpine, a long-established medicine available generically, switches on the body’s “rest and digest” receptors, so as eye drops it narrows the pupil and lowers eye pressure in glaucoma (now mostly a backup option) or sharpens near vision in presbyopia, and as tablets it boosts saliva for dry mouth from head and neck radiation or Sjogren’s syndrome. Side effects are usually manageable, mainly sweating (very common with the tablets), nausea and a runny nose, and the drops blur vision, especially at night. Before starting, tell your pharmacist about any heart disease, asthma, chronic bronchitis or COPD, since pilocarpine can upset heart rate and blood pressure and tighten airways.

Clinical pearls

  • Beta blockers, including timolol eye drops, can combine with pilocarpine to disturb the heart’s electrical signals, so tell each prescriber.
  • Anticholinergic (drying) medicines such as atropine or an ipratropium inhaler work against pilocarpine, so the tablets may relieve dry mouth less.
  • With the presbyopia drops, wait at least 5 minutes before putting in any other eye drop.
  • Liver problems matter with the tablets, since moderate impairment calls for a lower starting dose and severe impairment makes them not recommended.
How we write & review this content — our editorial policy →
How you get itPrescription only
Comes asEye drops, Tablet
Earliest FDA record2003
Companies listing it with the FDA13
FDA label last updatedMar 28, 2023
FDA’s strongest warning (boxed)None on the label

Patient information guide — a plain-language walkthrough of Pilocarpine, written from its FDA label.

What Pilocarpine is used for

▾

Pilocarpine is used for eye conditions and for dry mouth, depending on the product.

  • Pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution (glaucoma product): lowers raised eye pressure in open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.
  • The same product: manages acute angle-closure glaucoma.
  • The same product: prevents raised eye pressure after laser surgery.
  • The same product: induces miosis (pupil constriction).
  • Vuity, Qlosi and Pilocarpine Hydrochloride Ophthalmic: treat presbyopia in adults.
  • Pilocarpine hydrochloride tablets and Salagen tablets: treat dry mouth from radiation for head and neck cancer.
  • The same tablets: treat dry mouth in Sjogren's syndrome.

How Pilocarpine works

▾

Pilocarpine is a muscarinic agonist. It switches on muscarinic receptors, which respond to the body's “rest and digest” signals. This increases secretions from glands such as the salivary glands, so it helps dry mouth. In the eye it constricts the pupil and eventually lowers eye pressure.

Pilocarpine dosage

▾

Eye drops go in the eye, and tablets are swallowed. Schedules differ by product, so follow your own label.

  • The glaucoma product is used up to four times daily.
  • Vuity is used once daily, with an optional second dose hours later.
  • Qlosi can be used up to twice a day.
  • Tablets are taken several times daily and may need weeks to show benefit.

Dosing details from the FDA-approved label

From the Pilocarpine 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.

  • Reduction of Elevated Intraocular Pressure (IOP) in Patients with Open-Angle Glaucoma or Ocular Hypertension (ophthalmic)
    • One drop of pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 1%, 2% or 4% applied topically in the eye(s) up to four times daily
    • Pilocarpine-naïve patients should be started on the 1% concentration
    • Patients may perform punctal occlusion for 2 minutes after instillation to limit systemic exposure
  • Management of Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma (ophthalmic)
    • One drop of 1% or 2% applied topically in the eye(s) up to three times over a 30-minute period
    • If laser iridoplasty or iridomy is used, one drop of 4% prior to the procedure
    • Following laser iridoplasty, one drop of 1% four times daily until an iridotomy can be performed
    • Secretory suppressants and hyperosmotic agents may be needed beforehand to lower IOP below 50 mmHg
  • Prevention of Postoperative Elevated IOP Associated with Laser Surgery
    • One drop of 1%, 2% or 4% (or two drops administered five minutes apart) applied topically in the eye(s) 15 to 60 minutes prior to surgery
  • Induction of Miosis
    • One drop of 1%, 2% or 4% (or two drops administered five minutes apart) applied topically in the eye(s)
  • Pediatric Patients (ophthalmic)
    • Children under 2 years: one drop of 1% in the eye(s) three times daily
    • Children 2 years and over dosed as for adults
    • For miosis prior to goniotomy or trabeculotomy, one drop of 1% or 2% in the eye 15 to 60 minutes prior to surgery
    • Under 2 years of age vs 2 years and over
  • Head & Neck Cancer Patients (oral tablets)
    • Initial 5 mg taken three times a day
    • Titrate according to therapeutic response and tolerability
    • Usual dosage range up to 15 mg per day to 30 mg per day
    • At least 12 weeks of uninterrupted therapy may be necessary to assess response
    • Maximum: Not to exceed 10 mg per dose
    • Moderate hepatic impairment: start at 5 mg twice daily; mild impairment no reduction; severe not recommended
  • Sjogren's Syndrome Patients (oral tablets)
    • One tablet (5 mg) taken four times a day
    • Efficacy was established by 6 weeks of use
    • Moderate hepatic impairment: start at 5 mg twice daily; severe not recommended
  • Qlosi (ophthalmic)
    • One drop in each eye
    • Can be repeated a second time after 2 to 3 hours for an effect up to 8 hours
    • Daily or as needed
    • Maximum: Up to twice each day
    • Administer other topical ophthalmic medications at least 5 minutes apart
  • Vuity (ophthalmic)
    • One drop in each eye once daily
    • A second dose (one additional drop in each eye) may be administered 3-6 hours after the first dose
    • Administer other topical ophthalmic products at least 5 minutes apart
  • Pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 1.25%
    • One drop in each eye once daily
    • Administer other topical ophthalmic products at least 5 minutes apart
Read the label’s full dosing text

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Instill one drop in the eye(s) up to four times daily ( 2 ). 2.1 Reduction of Elevated Intraocular Pressure (IOP) in Patients with Open-Angle Glaucoma or Ocular Hypertension One drop of pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 1%, 2% or 4% should be applied topically in the eye(s) up to four times daily. Pilocarpine-naïve patients should be started on the 1% concentration as higher concentrations are often not tolerated initially. The frequency of instillation and concentration of pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution are determined by the severity of the elevated intraocular pressure and miotic response of the patient. To limit systemic exposure to pilocarpine, patients may be instructed to perform punctal occlusion for 2 minutes after instillation of pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution. 2.2 Management of Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma Prior to pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution use, treatment with secretory suppressants and hyperosmotic agents may be needed to lower IOP below 50 mmHg and relieve iris ischemia. For initial management of acute angle-closure glaucoma, one drop of pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 1% or 2% may be applied topically in the eye(s) up to three times over a 30-minute period. If laser iridoplasty or iridomy is used to break the attack, one drop of pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 4% should be administered prior to the procedure. Following laser iridoplasty, one drop of pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 1% should be administered four times daily until an iridotomy can be performed. 2.3 Prevention of Postoperative Elevated IOP Associated with Laser Surgery One drop of pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 1%, 2% or 4% (or two drops administered five minutes apart) should be applied topically in the eye(s) 15 to 60 minutes prior to surgery. 2.4 Induction of Miosis One drop of pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 1%, 2% or 4% (or two drops administered five minutes apart) should be applied topically in the eye(s). 2.5 Use with Other Topical Ophthalmic Medications Pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution may be used in combination with beta-blockers, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, sympathomimetics or hyperosmotic agents.

Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →

Pilocarpine side effects

▾

Common side effects

  • Sweating (very common with the tablets)
  • Nausea
  • Runny or stuffy nose (rhinitis)
  • Diarrhea
  • Chills
  • Blurred vision with eye forms, especially at night

When to get medical help

  • Get medical help right away if you have chest symptoms, a very fast or slow heartbeat, or breathing trouble, especially if you have heart or lung disease.
  • Call your doctor if your vision becomes much worse, or you notice trouble judging depth.
  • Seek emergency care for suspected overdose. Signs can include severe heart or breathing problems.
  • Report any severe or unusual reaction to your prescriber or pharmacist.

Many effects come from pilocarpine's expected action on glands and muscles.

  • Sweating
  • Nausea
  • Runny nose
  • Diarrhea
  • Chills

Side effects become more frequent at higher tablet doses. Seek help for breathing trouble, heart rhythm changes or severe vision problems.

Pilocarpine warnings and precautions

▾
  • Heart disease: pilocarpine can change heart rate and blood pressure, so use only with close supervision.
  • Lung disease: it can tighten airways and increase secretions, so use caution with asthma, chronic bronchitis or COPD.
  • Eye forms can blur vision and impair depth perception, especially at night.
  • Pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) has been reported from high eye doses given for acute angle-closure glaucoma.

Pilocarpine interactions

▾

Pilocarpine can affect or be affected by several drug types.

  • Beta blockers: possible heart conduction problems.
  • Other parasympathomimetic drugs: effects add together.
  • Anticholinergics such as atropine or ipratropium: pilocarpine may weaken their effects.

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.

🌿40 supplements and herbs with documented Pilocarpine interactions, ranked by severity Check Pilocarpine against a supplement or herb →

Before taking Pilocarpine

▾
  • Tablets are not for people with uncontrolled asthma or pilocarpine allergy.
  • Tablets are not for those who should not have a constricted pupil, such as acute iritis or narrow-angle glaucoma.
  • Tell your prescriber about heart, lung or liver disease.
  • Tablets are not recommended in severe liver impairment.
  • Kidney impairment did not significantly change how the body handled oral pilocarpine in a small study.

Pilocarpine overdose

▾

Overdose can be dangerous, and about 100 mg has been considered potentially fatal. Treatment includes atropine and supportive care for breathing and circulation. Epinephrine may help with severe heart depression or airway tightening. Seek emergency help right away.

What Pilocarpine does in the body

▾

Pilocarpine stimulates sweat, salivary, tear, stomach, pancreatic and intestinal glands. In the eye it narrows the pupil and may briefly raise eye pressure before a longer-lasting drop. It can also increase smooth muscle activity in the gut, airways and urinary tract. Heart effects can vary, including both slow and fast heartbeat. In tablets, saliva flow began about 20 minutes after a dose, peaked at about 1 hour and lasted 3 to 5 hours.

How your body processes Pilocarpine

▾

After tablets, peak levels occurred at roughly 1 hour, and a high-fat meal slowed absorption. The half-life was under 1.5 hours in one study. Pilocarpine and its inactive breakdown products leave through urine. Liver impairment roughly doubled exposure, while kidney impairment did not significantly change it. Elderly women had about twice the exposure of men in a small study.

How to store Pilocarpine

▾

Store refrigerated at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C). stored at room temperature and used within 30 days. Store unused product away from light.

Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →

40

Supplements & herbs that interact with Pilocarpine

40 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Pilocarpine in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.

Severity mix
  • Major · 1
  • Moderate · 28
  • Minor · 11
ACTIVATED CHARCOAL Major BACOPA Moderate BAEL Moderate BETEL NUT Moderate BOXWOOD Moderate CALAMUS Moderate CLUBMOSS Moderate COFFEE CHARCOAL Moderate +32 more
Every supplement checked against Pilocarpine — ranked by severity The full interaction hub: 1 major · 28 moderate · 11 minor · every one linked to its full report. Check Pilocarpine against your exact supplements

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.

Pilocarpine: pharmacist answers to common questions

Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Pilocarpine — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.

What is pilocarpine used for?

▾
It depends on the product. Eye drops are used for glaucoma, raised eye pressure or presbyopia, depending on the brand. Tablets treat dry mouth from head and neck radiation or Sjogren's syndrome.

How do I take it?

▾
Eye drops go in the eye and tablets are swallowed. Schedules vary by product, so follow your prescriber and your label. For dry mouth, it can take weeks to know if the tablets are working.

What side effects should I expect?

▾
With tablets, sweating is the most common, along with nausea, runny nose, diarrhea and chills. Eye forms can blur your vision, especially at night. Call your doctor if effects are severe or bothersome.

Is it safe if I have asthma or heart disease?

▾
Use extra caution. Tablets should not be used with uncontrolled asthma. With controlled asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis or significant heart disease, you would need close supervision.

Can I drive after using the eye drops?

▾
Be careful. Eye forms can blur vision and affect depth perception, especially at night or in dim light. Avoid night driving or hazardous tasks until you know how your vision responds.

Does it interact with my other medicines?

▾
It can. Tell me if you take beta blockers or anticholinergics like atropine or ipratropium. If you use other eye drops with the presbyopia products, wait at least 5 minutes between them.

Is Pilocarpine available over the counter?

▾
No. Pilocarpine is a prescription medicine: every Pilocarpine product listed with the FDA is prescription only, so it is not sold over the counter. Your prescriber decides whether it is appropriate for you, and your pharmacist dispenses it.

When was Pilocarpine first available?

▾
The earliest FDA record we hold for Pilocarpine is from 2003: its first approval in Drugs@FDA or its earliest product listing in the NDC Directory, whichever is older. Many older medicines were in use before their first formal FDA approval, so this is the earliest date on record, not necessarily when Pilocarpine was first used.

Who makes Pilocarpine?

▾
13 companies currently list Pilocarpine products in the FDA's NDC Directory, including Amneal Pharmaceuticals NY LLC, Bryant Ranch Prepack, Sandoz Inc. That count includes repackagers and distributors as well as manufacturers (companies that sell only the raw ingredient are not counted), so fewer companies actually make it; the label on your bottle names the one that supplied yours.

Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →

More about Pilocarpine on HelloPharmacist

📊Pilocarpine supplement interactions40 checked — ranked by severity 🌿Drug & Supplement CheckerPilocarpine vs. vitamins & herbs 💬Ask a PharmacistFree answer, usually < 24h 🔎NDC & pricing lookupFind Pilocarpine NDCs & costs 🅰️Browse Drugs A–ZLook up any medication
Detailed data & references for Pilocarpine Forms & strengths, pricing, billing codes, manufacturers, safety reports and sourcing — the data behind the page. Most people can stop here. Each section below opens on a tap.

Pilocarpine forms and strengths (how it comes)

Pilocarpine is available in 2 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.

Eye drops

In the eye
Brands Qlosi Vuity
How this form is used
What it may be used for
  • Pilocarpine Hydrochloride ophthalmic solution is used for raised eye pressure in open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, acute angle-closure glaucoma, prevention of raised pressure after laser surgery, and inducing miosis.
  • Vuity is used for presbyopia in adults.
  • Qlosi is used for presbyopia in adults.
  • Pilocarpine Hydrochloride Ophthalmic is used for presbyopia in adults.
Important instructions
  • Pilocarpine Hydrochloride ophthalmic solution (glaucoma product) is dosed as one drop in the eye(s) up to four times daily; pressing on the corner of the eye for 2 minutes may limit absorption into the body.
  • Vuity is one drop in each eye once daily, with an optional second dose 3 to 6 hours later.
  • Qlosi is one drop in each eye, which may be repeated after 2 to 3 hours, up to twice a day. Discard the single-use vial after use.
  • Pilocarpine Hydrochloride Ophthalmic is one drop in each eye once daily.
Available strengths 5 strengths
4 mg/mL 10 mg/mL 12.5 mg/mL 20 mg/mL 40 mg/mL
30 FDA-listed product records ⓘ

Tablet

By mouth
Brands Salagen
How this form is used
What it may be used for
  • Salagen tablets treat dry mouth from radiation therapy for head and neck cancer.
  • Salagen tablets treat dry mouth in Sjogren's syndrome.
  • Pilocarpine hydrochloride tablets are used for the same two dry mouth conditions.
Important instructions
  • Salagen is taken by mouth several times a day; dose is adjusted to response and tolerability.
  • For head and neck cancer, Salagen may need at least 12 weeks to judge benefit.
  • For Sjogren's syndrome, Salagen benefit was established by 6 weeks of use.
  • Salagen starts lower in people with moderate liver impairment and is not recommended in severe liver impairment.
Available strengths 2 strengths
5 mg 7.5 mg
29 FDA-listed product records ⓘ

Pilocarpine on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands

How Pilocarpine 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.

13 companies list 28 Pilocarpine product records with the FDA, mostly as eye drops, tablet; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 2003. Brand names on the directory include Salagen, Pilocar, Isoptocarpine and 2 more; the rest are generics.

2
Dose forms ⓘ
13
Labelers (makers, repackagers, distributors)
5
Brand names
28
FDA-listed product records ⓘ
2003
Earliest FDA record ⓘ

FDA-listed product records by dose form (tablet variants merged) — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.

Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Powder (10) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.

Amneal Pharmaceuticals NY LLC21%
Bryant Ranch Prepack11%
Sandoz Inc11%
Somerset Therapeutics, LLC11%
Actavis Pharma, Inc.7%
Advanz Pharma (US) Corp.7%
Other makers32%

Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.

How widely Pilocarpine is used (Medicaid data)

A general measure of how commonly Pilocarpine 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 Pilocarpine 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.

45,043
Medicaid prescriptions filled (Q1–Q4 2025)
$2M gross Medicaid reimbursement (before mandatory rebates — net cost is lower)

How commonly is Pilocarpine prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Pilocarpine ranks #652 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 59% of them.

Where Pilocarpine ranks among the drugs we measure · Q1–Q4 2025 · neighbors ±5
Total prescriptions — #652 of 1,601
#647 Bimatoprost 46,752 Rx #648 Conjugated Estrogens /... 46,742 Rx #649 Trastuzumab Injection 46,422 Rx #650 Bimatoprost Ophthalmic 46,251 Rx #651 Sotalol 45,834 Rx #652 Pilocarpine 45,043 Rx #653 Glecaprevir and Pibren... 44,772 Rx #654 Plecanatide 44,504 Rx #655 Oxaliplatin Injection 44,448 Rx #656 Sirolimus 44,322 Rx #657 Tocilizumab Injection 43,670 Rx

Utilization by Pilocarpine 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.

The 5 mg oral tablet is the most-dispensed Pilocarpine product — about 84% of these Medicaid prescriptions.

pilocarpine hydrochloride 5 MG Oral Tablet Most dispensed

38,018 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 84% of Pilocarpine prescriptions shown $1.5M gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $40 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 5 of 24 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 1000913

pilocarpine hydrochloride 7.5 MG Oral Tablet

2,428 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 5% of Pilocarpine prescriptions shown $138,752 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $57 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 2 of 7 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 1001004

pilocarpine hydrochloride 10 MG/ML Ophthalmic Solution

2,245 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 5% of Pilocarpine prescriptions shown $135,352 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $60 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 3 of 5 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 1000647

pilocarpine hydrochloride 20 MG/ML Ophthalmic Solution

1,170 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 3% of Pilocarpine prescriptions shown $79,286 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $68 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 3 of 7 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 1000862

pilocarpine hydrochloride 12.5 MG/ML Ophthalmic Solution

1,017 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 2% of Pilocarpine prescriptions shown $104,808 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $103 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 3 of 8 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 2584552

pilocarpine hydrochloride 40 MG/ML Ophthalmic Solution

165 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) <1% of Pilocarpine prescriptions shown $10,363 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $63 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 2 of 4 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 1000897

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 Pilocarpine, 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 18 of 55 listed Pilocarpine NDCs with Medicaid activity.

Compare Pilocarpine products

A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Pilocarpine — 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.)

Showing 28 of 28 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 28 Pilocarpine NDCs →

Pilocarpine 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 no Pilocarpine recalls since July 2021.

✅No Pilocarpine recalls on record since July 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.

Ingredient (IN) Pilocarpine RxCUI 8328 3 dose forms · 15 strengths
  1. Dose form (SCDF) Ophthalmic Gel RxCUI 373453 No current FDA listing
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) hydrochloride 0.04 MG/MG RxCUI 1000638
  2. Dose form (SCDF) Ophthalmic Solution RxCUI 373454 In current FDA listings
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) hydrochloride 1 MG/ML RxCUI 1001402 hydrochloride 10 MG/ML RxCUI 1000647 hydrochloride 100 MG/ML RxCUI 1000664 hydrochloride 12.5 MG/ML RxCUI 2584552 hydrochloride 2.5 MG/ML RxCUI 1000668 hydrochloride 20 MG/ML RxCUI 1000862 hydrochloride 30 MG/ML RxCUI 1000884 hydrochloride 4 MG/ML RxCUI 2695439 hydrochloride 40 MG/ML RxCUI 1000897 hydrochloride 5 MG/ML RxCUI 1000917 hydrochloride 60 MG/ML RxCUI 1000939 hydrochloride 80 MG/ML RxCUI 1001014

Look up RxCUI 8328 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.

Pilocarpine brand names

Pilocarpine is sold under 5 brand names in the FDA directory — Salagen, Pilocar, Isoptocarpine, Vuity and others. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.

Salagen Pilocar Isoptocarpine Vuity Qlosi

Who makes Pilocarpine: manufacturers and labelers

13 companies list Pilocarpine products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are Amneal Pharmaceuticals NY LLC, Bryant Ranch Prepack, Sandoz Inc. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.

Amneal Pharmaceuticals NY LLC 6 Bryant Ranch Prepack 3 Sandoz Inc 3 Somerset Therapeutics, LLC 3 Actavis Pharma, Inc. 2 Advanz Pharma (US) Corp. 2 Aurobindo Pharma Limited 2 Lannett Company, Inc. 2 Amici Pharmaceuticals Llc 1 AbbVie Inc. 1 American Health Packaging 1 AvPAK 1 Orasis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 1

Pilocarpine drug class (RxNorm)

Pilocarpine belongs to the Cholinergic Receptor Agonist class.

Pharmacologic class Cholinergic Receptor Agonist
Drug family (ATC) Other parasympathomimetics, Parasympathomimetics
How it works Cholinergic Muscarinic Agonists, Cholinergic Agonists

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 Pilocarpine 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.

📄
FDA-filed drug labels (SPL) Uses, dosing, warnings & side effects from SPL records retrieved through openFDA; the linked representative set can be verified on DailyMed. ✓ Linked label effective Mar 28, 2023
🏭
Forms, brands & labelersAggregated from ingredient-matched FDA National Drug Code Directory product records for Pilocarpine.
📈
Real-world reportsThe FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), served through openFDA.
🚨
Recalls & shortagesopenFDA drug-enforcement reports and the FDA drug-shortage database.
🧾 Clinical label set — FDA-filed SPL labels retained for Pilocarpine after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching
Clinical labels in scope
7
Finished products in the current FDA directory
28
Companies listing them (makers, repackagers, distributors)
13
FDA labeler codes behind them ⓘ
15
Linked representative label ⓘ
AbbVie Inc.
Linked label effective
Mar 28, 2023
Composite sections available
22
Linked SPL Set ID
8d806897-8a2a-4518-8c68-0ec3b778de50
Linked SPL Document ID
ed4cf150-c4b6-4d26-9326-e3a3490de489
Open the linked representative label on DailyMed ↗

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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. AbbVie 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 →