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Rivastigmine

Rivastigmine is a cholinesterase inhibitor used to treat dementia from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia linked to Parkinson’s disease, available as capsules, an oral solution and a skin patch.

Brand names ExelonRivastigmine Transdermal System
Drug class Cholinesterase Inhibitor
Rx Forms 3
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 18 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 →

✓No current FDA shortage listed · checked Oct 5, 2026
Other forms & routes:
Transdermal
Rivastigmine 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

Rivastigmine (Exelon) is a standard first option for dementia from Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, on the market since about 2000 and now available as a generic; it eases symptoms by blocking the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, a brain chemical for memory, without changing the underlying disease. Stomach upset is what most people notice (nausea, vomiting, poor appetite), which is why the dose climbs slowly; severe or lasting vomiting can cause serious dehydration. If you use the patch, wear only one at a time, since leaving the old one on or doubling up has led to hospitalization and, rarely, death.

Clinical pearls

  • Take the capsules with breakfast and dinner, never on an empty stomach, which helps blunt the nausea.
  • Patch-site redness is common, but a rash that spreads, blisters or lingers 48 hours after removal suggests allergy and means stopping.
  • Pairing it with a beta-blocker such as atenolol can slow the heart further, so report dizziness, fainting or a slow pulse.
  • After more than three days off, call the prescriber before the next dose rather than picking up where you left off.
How we write & review this content — our editorial policy →
How you get itPrescription only
Comes asSkin patch, Capsule, Oral solution
Earliest FDA record2000
Companies listing it with the FDA20
FDA label last updatedMay 8, 2024
FDA’s strongest warning (boxed)None on the label

Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Rivastigmine, written from its FDA label.

What Rivastigmine is used for

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Rivastigmine treats dementia in two conditions:

  • Alzheimer’s disease dementia: mild, moderate and severe for the skin patch products (Exelon and rivastigmine transdermal systems); mild-to-moderate for rivastigmine tartrate capsules.
  • Dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease: mild-to-moderate, for both the capsules and the patches.

How Rivastigmine works

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Rivastigmine blocks cholinesterase, an enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine. That raises acetylcholine levels, which supports brain cell communication involved in memory and thinking.

Its benefit may lessen as the disease progresses and fewer of these nerve cells remain working. There is no evidence it alters the course of the dementia.

Rivastigmine dosage

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Dosing is started low and raised slowly to limit stomach side effects. Follow your prescriber and the label.

  • Rivastigmine tartrate capsules: taken twice daily with meals, morning and evening.
  • Rivastigmine patches (Exelon and rivastigmine transdermal systems): one patch on intact skin every 24 hours, replacing the old patch each time.
  • If treatment stops for more than 3 days because of side effects, do not restart on your own. Your doctor will need to restart you at the lowest dose.

Dosing details from the FDA-approved label

From the Rivastigmine 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.

  • Initial dose (all patients)
    • Initiate treatment with one 4.6 mg/24 hours Rivastigmine Transdermal System applied to the skin once daily
    • Replace with a new patch every 24 hours
  • Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease and Mild-to-Moderate Parkinson's Disease Dementia
    • 9.5 mg/24 hours or 13.3 mg/24 hours administered once per day
    • Replace with a new patch every 24 hours
    • Increase the dose only after a minimum of 4 weeks at the previous dose, and only if tolerated
    • Continue 9.5 mg/24 hours for as long as therapeutic benefit persists, then may increase to 13.3 mg/24 hours
    • Maximum: 13.3 mg/24 hours
    • Doses higher than 13.3 mg/24 hours confer no appreciable additional benefit and increase adverse reactions
  • Severe Alzheimer's Disease
    • 13.3 mg/24 hours administered once per day
    • Replace with a new patch every 24 hours
    • Maximum: 13.3 mg/24 hours
  • Interruption of treatment
    • If interrupted for 3 days or fewer, restart with the same or lower strength
    • If interrupted for more than 3 days, restart with 4.6 mg/24 hours and titrate as described
  • Mild (Child-Pugh score 5 to 6) to moderate (Child-Pugh score 7 to 9) hepatic impairment
    • Consider using the 4.6 mg/24 hours patch as both the initial and maintenance dose
    • Hepatic impairment adjustment
  • Low body weight (less than 50 kg)
    • Carefully titrate and monitor for toxicities (e.g., excessive nausea, vomiting)
    • Consider reducing the maintenance dose to the 4.6 mg/24 hours patch if such toxicities develop
    • Weight less than 50 kg
  • Switching from oral rivastigmine: total daily dose less than 6 mg
    • Switch to the 4.6 mg/24 hours patch
    • Apply the first patch on the day following the last oral dose
  • Switching from oral rivastigmine: total daily dose 6 mg to 12 mg
    • Switch to the 9.5 mg/24 hours patch
    • Apply the first patch on the day following the last oral dose
Read the label’s full dosing text

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Apply patch on intact skin for a 24-hour period; replace with a new patch every 24 hours. (2.1, 2.4) Initial Dose: Initiate treatment with 4.6 mg/24 hours rivastigmine transdermal system. (2.1) Dose Titration: After a minimum of 4 weeks, if tolerated, increase dose to 9.5 mg/24 hours, which is the minimum effective dose. Following a minimum additional 4 weeks, may increase dosage to maximum dosage of 13.3 mg/24 hours. (2.1) Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease Dementia: Rivastigmine transdermal system 9.5 mg/24 hours or 13.3 mg/24 hours once daily. (2.1) Severe Alzheimer’s Disease: Rivastigmine transdermal system 13.3 mg/24 hours once daily. (2.1) For treatment interruption longer than 3 days, retitrate dosage starting at 4.6 mg per 24 hours. (2.1) Consider dose adjustments in patients with (2.2) : Mild-to-moderate hepatic impairment (8.6) Low (less than 50 kg) body weight (8.7) 2.1 Recommended Dosing Initial Dose Initiate treatment with one 4.6 mg/24 hours rivastigmine transdermal system applied to the skin once daily [see Dosage and Administration (2.4) ] . Dose Titration Increase the dose only after a minimum of 4 weeks at the previous dose, and only if the previous dose has been tolerated. For mild-to-moderate AD and PDD patients, continue the effective dose of 9.5 mg/24 hours for as long as therapeutic benefit persists. Patients can then be increased to the maximum effective dose of 13.3 mg/24 hours dose. For patients with severe AD, 13.3 mg/24 hours is the effective dose. Doses higher than 13.3 mg/24 hours confer no appreciable additional benefit, and are associated with an increase in the incidence of adverse reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) , Adverse Reactions (6.1) ] . Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild-to-Moderate Parkinson’s Disease Dementia The effective dosage of rivastigmine transdermal system is 9.5 mg/24 hours or 13.3 mg/24 hours administered once per day; replace with a new patch every 24 hours. Severe Alzheimer’s Disease The effective dosage of rivastigmine transdermal system in patients with severe Alzheimer’s disease is 13.3 mg/24 hours administered once per day; replace with a new patch every 24 hours. Interruption of Treatment If dosing is interrupted for 3 days or fewer, restart treatment with the same or lower strength rivastigmine transdermal system.

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

Rivastigmine side effects

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The most common side effects are mostly stomach-related.

Common side effects

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Decreased appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Skin redness at the patch site
  • Dizziness, headache, anxiety and depression
  • Skin redness or itching at the patch site

When to get medical help

  • Call your doctor if vomiting, diarrhea or poor appetite is severe or lasts, since dehydration can become serious.
  • Get help if more than one patch was applied or an old patch was left on, because overdose can cause hospitalization and, rarely, death.
  • Stop the patch and call your doctor if a skin reaction spreads beyond the patch area, gets more intense (more redness, swelling, bumps or blisters), or does not improve within 48 hours after patch removal.
  • Tell your doctor if you have a slow heartbeat or fainting.
  • Report black stools, vomiting blood or other signs of stomach bleeding.
  • If treatment was stopped for more than 3 days because of side effects, call your doctor before the next dose.
  • Report seizures or worsening tremor or Parkinson’s symptoms.

Call your doctor about severe or lasting vomiting or diarrhea, signs of dehydration, or a spreading skin rash.

Rivastigmine warnings and precautions

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  • Patch overdose from errors: using several patches at once or forgetting to remove the old one has caused hospitalization and rarely death.
  • Stomach side effects can be significant and cause dehydration.
  • Patch skin reactions may be allergic contact dermatitis. Stop the patch if the reaction spreads, intensifies or lasts more than 48 hours after removal.
  • It can slow heart rate, may worsen tremor in Parkinson’s dementia, may increase stomach acid and ulcer or bleeding risk, and may cause seizures.
  • Use with care in asthma or obstructive lung disease.
  • Dementia and the drug can affect driving and machinery use.

Rivastigmine interactions

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Tell your prescriber and pharmacist about all your medicines. Key ones include:

  • Metoclopramide: added risk of movement-related side effects; not recommended.
  • Beta-blockers such as atenolol: added slowing of the heart and possible fainting.
  • Anticholinergics such as oxybutynin and tolterodine: rivastigmine may interfere with their effect.
  • Other cholinomimetic drugs: effects may add up.
  • NSAIDs: higher ulcer and bleeding risk.
  • Succinylcholine-type muscle relaxants used in anesthesia: effect may be exaggerated.

Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label

From the Rivastigmine prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.

  • Metoclopramide: Risk of additive extra-pyramidal adverse reactions. Concomitant use is not recommended.
  • Cholinomimetic medications: Rivastigmine may increase the cholinergic effects of other cholinomimetic medications. Concomitant use is not recommended unless deemed clinically necessary.
  • Anticholinergic medications (e.g., oxybutynin, tolterodine): Rivastigmine may interfere with the activity of anticholinergic medications. Concomitant use is not recommended unless deemed clinically necessary.
  • Beta-blockers (especially cardioselective, including atenolol): Additive bradycardic effects resulting in syncope may occur. Concomitant use is not recommended when signs of bradycardia, including syncope, are present.
Read the label’s full interactions text

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Concomitant use with metoclopramide, beta-blockers, or cholinomimetics and anticholinergic medications is not recommended. ( 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 ) 7.1 Metoclopramide Due to the risk of additive extra-pyramidal adverse reactions, the concomitant use of metoclopramide and rivastigmine transdermal system is not recommended. 7.2 Cholinomimetic and Anticholinergic Medications Rivastigmine transdermal system may increase the cholinergic effects of other cholinomimetic medications and may also interfere with the activity of anticholinergic medications (e.g., oxybutynin, tolterodine). Concomitant use of rivastigmine transdermal system with medications having these pharmacologic effects is not recommended unless deemed clinically necessary [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] . 7.3 Beta-Blockers Additive bradycardic effects resulting in syncope may occur when rivastigmine is used concomitantly with beta-blockers, especially cardioselective beta-blockers (including atenolol). Concomitant use is not recommended when signs of bradycardia, including syncope are present.

7.1 Metoclopramide Due to the risk of additive extra-pyramidal adverse reactions, the concomitant use of metoclopramide and rivastigmine transdermal system is not recommended.

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.

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

Before taking Rivastigmine

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  • Do not use if allergic to rivastigmine or other carbamates.
  • Do not use the patch if you had a prior allergic-type skin reaction to it.
  • Tell your doctor about ulcers, asthma, lung disease, slow or irregular heart rhythm, or seizures.
  • Liver problems or low body weight may require dose adjustment.
  • Pregnancy: not enough human data. Breastfeeding: unknown if it passes into milk; discuss benefits and risks.
  • Not recommended under 18.
  • Older adults: no overall differences seen, though some may be more sensitive.

Rivastigmine overdose

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Overdose can cause severe nausea and vomiting, salivation, sweating, slow heartbeat, low blood pressure, breathing problems and convulsions. With the patch, overdose usually follows wearing more than one patch or not removing the old one. Remove the patch(es) and contact a Poison Control Center or emergency care right away.

What Rivastigmine does in the body

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Rivastigmine inhibits cholinesterase activity in the fluid around the brain and spinal cord. After an oral dose, this lasts about 10 hours, with maximum inhibition at around 5 hours. Memantine does not affect this inhibition.

How your body processes Rivastigmine

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After a patch is applied, absorption starts within 0.5 to 1 hour and usually peaks around 8 hours, then slowly falls over 24 hours. Rivastigmine crosses into the brain and is broken down mainly by cholinesterase rather than major liver enzymes. It is cleared mostly through the kidneys as metabolites, with a half-life of about 3 hours after patch removal. Levels are higher in people with low body weight.

How to store Rivastigmine

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Store at 25°C (77°F); excursions permitted to 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F) .

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

39

Supplements & herbs that interact with Rivastigmine

39 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Rivastigmine 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 · 10
ACTIVATED CHARCOAL Major ARENARIA RUBRA Moderate BACOPA Moderate BAEL Moderate BETEL NUT Moderate BOXWOOD Moderate CALAMUS Moderate CLUBMOSS Moderate +31 more
Every supplement checked against Rivastigmine — ranked by severity The full interaction hub: 1 major · 28 moderate · 10 minor · every one linked to its full report. Check Rivastigmine 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.

Rivastigmine: pharmacist answers to common questions

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

What is rivastigmine for?

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It treats dementia from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia linked to Parkinson’s disease. It can help with symptoms, but it does not change the course of the underlying disease.

How should I take it?

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Capsules are taken twice a day with meals. The patch goes on intact skin once every 24 hours, and the old one must come off first. Your doctor will raise the dose slowly, so follow the directions closely.

What side effects should I expect?

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Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, lower appetite and weight loss are the most common, especially early on or after dose increases. Call us if they are severe or last, since dehydration can be serious.

Can I wear more than one patch if my symptoms seem worse?

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No. Wearing multiple patches or leaving the old one on has led to serious overdoses. Use one patch at a time, and ask your doctor before changing anything.

What if I miss several days of treatment?

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If you stopped for more than 3 days because of side effects, do not restart at your old dose. Call your doctor first, because you will likely need to start again at the lowest dose to avoid severe vomiting.

Are there medicines I should avoid with it?

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Metoclopramide, beta-blockers like atenolol, and anticholinergics like oxybutynin or tolterodine can be a problem. Always check with me before adding any new medicine, including NSAIDs.

Is Rivastigmine available over the counter?

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No. Rivastigmine is a prescription medicine: every Rivastigmine 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 Rivastigmine first available?

▾
The earliest FDA record we hold for Rivastigmine is from 2000: 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 Rivastigmine was first used.

Who makes Rivastigmine?

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20 companies currently list Rivastigmine products in the FDA's NDC Directory, including Bryant Ranch Prepack, Sandoz Inc, Alembic Pharmaceuticals 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 Rivastigmine on HelloPharmacist

📊Rivastigmine supplement interactions39 checked — ranked by severity 🌿Drug & Supplement CheckerRivastigmine vs. vitamins & herbs 💬Ask a PharmacistFree answer, usually < 24h 🔎NDC & pricing lookupFind Rivastigmine NDCs & costs 🅰️Browse Drugs A–ZLook up any medication
Detailed data & references for Rivastigmine 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.

Rivastigmine forms and strengths (how it comes)

Rivastigmine is available in 3 forms. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.

Need a version that does not list lactose, a gluten source, a dye or gelatin? Inactive ingredients differ by manufacturer: see Rivastigmine inactive ingredients by manufacturer.

Skin patch

Through the skin
Brands Exelon Rivastigmine Transdermal System
How this form is used
What it may be used for
  • Exelon patch treats mild, moderate and severe Alzheimer’s dementia.
  • Exelon patch treats mild-to-moderate dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Important instructions
  • Exelon patch is applied to intact skin for 24 hours and replaced with a new patch every 24 hours.
  • Rivastigmine transdermal systems are started at the lowest strength and increased only after at least 4 weeks if tolerated.
  • If rivastigmine patch treatment is interrupted for more than 3 days, restart at the lowest strength only after talking to the prescriber.
  • Remove the old rivastigmine patch before applying a new one; never wear more than one at a time.
Available strengths 6 strengths
4.6 mg/24h RIVASTIGMINE 4.6 mg/24h 9.5 mg/24h RIVASTIGMINE 9.5 mg/24h 13.3 mg/24h RIVASTIGMINE 13.3 mg/24h
71 FDA-listed product records ⓘ

Capsule

By mouth
How this form is used
What it may be used for
  • Rivastigmine tartrate capsules treat mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s dementia.
  • Rivastigmine tartrate capsules treat mild-to-moderate dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Important instructions
  • Rivastigmine tartrate capsules are taken with meals, in divided doses in the morning and evening.
  • Rivastigmine tartrate capsules are started low and increased only after a minimum number of weeks if tolerated.
Available strengths 4 strengths
1.5 mg 3 mg 4.5 mg 6 mg
59 FDA-listed product records ⓘ

Oral solution

By mouth
Available strengths 1 strength
1 kg/kg
6 FDA-listed product records ⓘ

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

How Rivastigmine 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.

20 companies list 72 Rivastigmine product records with the FDA, mostly as skin patch, capsule, oral solution; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 2000. Brand names on the directory include Exelon, Rivastigmine Transdermal System; the rest are generics.

3
Dose forms ⓘ
20
Labelers (makers, repackagers, distributors)
4
Brand names
72
FDA-listed product records ⓘ
2000
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 (11) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.

Bryant Ranch Prepack11%
Sandoz Inc8%
Alembic Pharmaceuticals Inc.6%
Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited6%
Aurobindo Pharma Limited6%
Cadila Pharmaceuticals Limited6%
Other makers58%

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

How widely Rivastigmine is used (Medicaid data)

A general measure of how commonly Rivastigmine 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 Rivastigmine 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.

11,022
Medicaid prescriptions filled (Q1–Q4 2025)
$1.4M gross Medicaid reimbursement (before mandatory rebates — net cost is lower)

How commonly is Rivastigmine prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Rivastigmine ranks #916 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 43% of them.

Where Rivastigmine ranks among the drugs we measure · Q1–Q4 2025 · neighbors ±5
Total prescriptions — #916 of 1,601
#911 Magnesium Chloride / P... 11,275 Rx #912 Deferasirox 11,233 Rx #913 Tavaborole Topical 11,126 Rx #914 Eltrombopag 11,114 Rx #915 Palbociclib 11,110 Rx #916 Rivastigmine 11,022 Rx #917 Drospirenone / Ethinyl... 10,895 Rx #918 Dronedarone 10,844 Rx #919 Pyrethrin and Piperony... 10,703 Rx #920 Ertugliflozin / Metfor... 10,690 Rx #921 Darunavir 10,563 Rx

Utilization by Rivastigmine 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 0.192 mg/HR 24 hr transdermal system is the most-dispensed Rivastigmine product — about 30% of these Medicaid prescriptions.

24 HR rivastigmine 0.192 MG/HR Transdermal System Most dispensed

3,283 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 30% of Rivastigmine prescriptions shown $837,119 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $255 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 6 of 23 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 725021

rivastigmine 1.5 MG Oral Capsule

2,551 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 23% of Rivastigmine prescriptions shown $56,231 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $22 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 5 of 39 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 314214

rivastigmine 3 MG Oral Capsule

2,016 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 18% of Rivastigmine prescriptions shown $41,065 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $20 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 5 of 37 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 312835

24 HR rivastigmine 0.396 MG/HR Transdermal System

1,712 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 16% of Rivastigmine prescriptions shown $429,693 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $251 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 7 of 24 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 725023

rivastigmine 6 MG Oral Capsule

791 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 7% of Rivastigmine prescriptions shown $13,719 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $17 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 3 of 38 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 312836

24 HR rivastigmine 0.554 MG/HR Transdermal System

409 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 4% of Rivastigmine prescriptions shown $56,260 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $138 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 4 of 24 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 1308569

rivastigmine 4.5 MG Oral Capsule

260 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 2% of Rivastigmine prescriptions shown $3,951 gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $15 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 3 of 38 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 314215

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 Rivastigmine, 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 33 of 223 listed Rivastigmine NDCs with Medicaid activity.

Compare Rivastigmine products

A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Rivastigmine — 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 72 of 72 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 72 Rivastigmine NDCs →

Rivastigmine 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 Rivastigmine recalls since July 2021.

✅No Rivastigmine 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) Rivastigmine RxCUI 183379 3 dose forms · 8 strengths
  1. Dose form (SCDF) Oral Capsule RxCUI 373797 In current FDA listings
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 1.5 MG RxCUI 314214 3 MG RxCUI 312835 4.5 MG RxCUI 314215 6 MG RxCUI 312836
  2. Dose form (SCDF) Oral Solution RxCUI 374628 In current FDA listings
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 2 MG/ML RxCUI 312834

Look up RxCUI 183379 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.

💵 What Rivastigmine 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.

FormStrengthPharmacy acquisition benchmark
Patch, Extended Release · Transdermal 9.5 mg/24h $21.81 each NDC details & price history
Patch, Extended Release · Transdermal RIVASTIGMINE 9.5 mg/24h $21.81 each NDC details & price history
Patch, Extended Release · Transdermal 13.3 mg/24h $22.01 each NDC details & price history
Patch, Extended Release · Transdermal RIVASTIGMINE 13.3 mg/24h $22.01 each NDC details & price history
Patch, Extended Release · Transdermal RIVASTIGMINE 4.6 mg/24h $21.87 each NDC details & price history
Patch, Extended Release · Transdermal 4.6 mg/24h $21.87 each NDC details & price history
Capsule · Oral 1.5 mg $0.164 per capsule NDC details & price history
Capsule · Oral 6 mg $0.156 per capsule NDC details & price history
Capsule · Oral 4.5 mg $0.174 per capsule NDC details & price history
Capsule · Oral 3 mg $0.146 per capsule NDC details & price history
Why show this? Your out-of-pocket cost depends on insurance, pharmacy markup, and discounts — but the acquisition benchmark tells you whether the medication itself is inexpensive or costly, which strengths cost more per dose, and whether a cash-price quote is in a reasonable range. Each row links to the NDC-level record with its full 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.

Rivastigmine brand names

Rivastigmine is sold under 2 brand names in the FDA directory — Exelon, Rivastigmine Transdermal System. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.

Exelon Rivastigmine Transdermal System

Who makes Rivastigmine: manufacturers and labelers

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

Bryant Ranch Prepack 8 Sandoz Inc 6 Alembic Pharmaceuticals Inc. 4 Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited 4 Aurobindo Pharma Limited 4 Cadila Pharmaceuticals Limited 4 Chartwell RX, LLC 4 Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited 4 Macleods Pharmaceuticals Limited 4 Modavar Pharmaceuticals LLC 4 Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. 4 Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC 3 Breckenridge Pharmaceutical, Inc. 3 Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. 3 Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation 3 Zydus Lifesciences Limited 3 Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. 3 Northstar Rx LLC. 2 American Health Packaging 1 Major Pharmaceuticals 1

Rivastigmine drug class (RxNorm)

Rivastigmine belongs to the Cholinesterase Inhibitor class.

Pharmacologic class Cholinesterase Inhibitor
Drug family (ATC) Anticholinesterases
How it works Cholinesterase Inhibitors

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 Rivastigmine 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 May 8, 2024
🏭
Forms, brands & labelersAggregated from ingredient-matched FDA National Drug Code Directory product records for Rivastigmine.
📈
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 Rivastigmine after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching
Clinical labels in scope
18
Finished products in the current FDA directory
72
Companies listing them (makers, repackagers, distributors)
20
FDA labeler codes behind them ⓘ
22
Linked representative label ⓘ
Sandoz Inc
Linked label effective
May 8, 2024
Composite sections available
24
Linked SPL Set ID
92a58ebb-748d-49f4-bf11-ecbcf5424152
Linked SPL Document ID
3a8271f5-aade-457e-8016-ef0f73c38f78
Open the linked representative label on DailyMed ↗

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. Sandoz 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 →