PRIMAQUINE PHOSPHATE 15 mg Tablet, Film Coated, 100-count
🆔 Identity & classification
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🏷️ RxNorm drug class
This medicine belongs to the Antimalarial class.
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🏭 Manufacturer & labeler
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🩺 Clinical
Primaquine is used to treat malaria (a serious infection spread by mosquitoes in some parts of the world) and to prevent the disease from coming back. Primaquine is in a class of medications called antimalarials. It works by killing the organisms that cause malaria.
Read the full MedlinePlus article ↗- Great question — this trips a lot of people up. Chloroquine clears the malaria parasites from your blood quickly and stops the active illness. But with vivax malaria, some parasite...
- Why do I need to take primaquine if I already took chloroquine for malaria?
- G6PD is an enzyme that helps protect your red blood cells from damage. Some people — particularly those with ancestry from Africa, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, South-East As...
- What is G6PD deficiency, and why does my doctor need to test me before I start?
Patient education
Supplement & herbal interactions
Some supplements/herbs that may interact with Primaquine Phosphate — tap one for details:
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💊 What it looks like
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🧪 Inactive Ingredients / Excipients
Inactive ingredients, also called excipients, are components of the drug product other than the active ingredient. They may include fillers, dyes, coatings, preservatives, flavors, or other formulation ingredients.
💡 Tap an ingredient (hover on desktop) to see what it is and why it’s used.
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UNII OP1R32D61U
Microcrystalline cellulose is a purified form of cellulose, a natural fiber from plant sources. It acts as a binder and filler in tablets and capsules, helping hold ingredients together and give the medicine its shape and size.
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UNII H77VEI93A8
A synthetic yellow dye used to color medications. It helps identify the drug and make it visually distinctive, with no effect on how the medicine works.
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UNII 36SFW2JZ0W
Hypromellose 2910 is a plant-based thickening agent derived from cellulose. In medicines, it forms a protective coating on tablets or capsules and controls how quickly the drug dissolves and releases into your body.
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Lactose monohydrate is a natural sugar derived from milk. It serves as a filler and binder in tablets and capsules, helping create the proper size, texture, and consistency of the medicine.
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UNII 70097M6I30
Magnesium stearate is a salt made from magnesium and stearic acid, a fatty substance. It's used in tablets and capsules as a lubricant and glidant to help ingredients flow smoothly during manufacturing and prevent sticking.
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UNII O8232NY3SJ
A plant-based carbohydrate derived from corn kernels. It acts as a filler to add bulk, a binder to hold ingredients together, and a disintegrant to help the tablet break apart in your stomach for absorption.
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UNII 7SEV7J4R1U
A powder made from a naturally occurring mineral. In medicines, talc works as a glidant and anti-caking agent, helping tablets and capsules flow smoothly during manufacturing and preventing clumping.
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UNII 15FIX9V2JP
Titanium dioxide is a bright white mineral powder commonly used as a colorant and opacifying agent. It makes pills and tablets white or lighter in color and helps make coatings non-transparent.
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UNII XHX3C3X673
Triacetin is a clear, oily liquid made from glycerin and acetic acid. It works as a plasticizer and solvent in medicines, helping soften coatings and improve how liquids mix together in formulations.
9 inactive ingredients listed in the exact product block matched to this NDC.
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ingredient classCode="IACT" elements from the exact product block matched by this NDC. Label-section narrative from DailyMed / the openFDA label index is shown separately when available.Inactive ingredient FAQ
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💲 Pricing
A drug doesn't have one price. Each row is a different public payment system, and none is what you'd pay at the counter — that depends on your insurance. The ⓘ on each row explains what it measures.
| Price system | Per each | Per package |
|---|---|---|
| Retail pharmacies payNADAC · weekly | Not in the retail survey — common for institutional, discontinued, or low-volume packs. | |
| Medicaid paysCMS SDUD · 12 mo | No recent Medicaid claims on file for this NDC — rare and low-volume NDCs are suppressed in the public data. | |
| Medicare drug plans payPart D · Q2 2026 | $1.96 | $195.92 / 100 tablets |
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🔁 Therapeutic equivalents
| Product | Labeler | Pack | NADAC/unit | TE | Status | Price vs. this |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primaquine Phosphate 15 mg 00024-1596-01 | Sanofi-Aventis | 100 tablets | $1.964 | AB | Availability likely | — |
| Primaquine Phosphate 15 mg 76385-0102-01 | Unichem | 100 tablets | $1.964 | AB | Availability likely | — |
| Primaquine Phosphate 15 mgthis 42291-0510-01 | AvKARE | 100 tablets | — | AB | FDA listed | — |
| Primaquine Phosphate 15 mg 43063-0721-14 | PD-Rx | 14 tablets | — | AB | FDA listed | — |
| Primaquine Phosphate 15 mg 50742-0191-01 | Ingenus | 100 tablets | — | AB | FDA listed | — |
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⏳ Availability & generic status
This product is an FDA-approved generic. Other versions of the same drug are listed under Therapeutic equivalents, least expensive first.
Where does this data come from?
📊 Medicare Part D spend CMS · PART D · 2026 (Q1)
📦 Packaging — all sizes for this product
| Package NDC | Description | Marketing start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42291-0510-01 You're viewing this | 100 TABLET, FILM COATED in 1 BOTTLE (42291-510-01) | 2019-02-21 | Active |
🧭 About this NDC listing & data coverage
What data is (and isn’t) available for this NDC — tap to expand
| NDC identity (package / product / labeler codes) | ✓ Available |
| Labeler | ✓ Available |
| Product & package description | ✓ Available |
| Marketing category & status | ✓ Available |
| Active ingredient / dosage form / route | ✓ Available |
| FDA label (SPL via DailyMed) | ✓ Available |
| Package photos | ✓ Available |
| Inactive ingredients (structured) | ✓ Available |
| NADAC pharmacy acquisition price (CMS) | — Not published for this NDC CMS publishes NADAC only for NDCs reported in its retail-pharmacy survey. |
| Orange Book / therapeutic-equivalence data | ✓ Available |
| HCPCS J-code billing crosswalk | — Not published for this NDC Most self-administered / retail products have no J-code — that is normal. |
| Medicaid utilization (CMS SDUD) | — Not published for this NDC CMS reports utilization only for NDCs with Medicaid claims above its privacy threshold. |
Questions about this listing
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📄 Full prescribing information FDA SPL
🎯 Indications and Usage ▾
INDICATIONS AND USAGE Primaquine phosphate is indicated for the radical cure (prevention of relapse) of vivax malaria.
⏱️ Dosage and Administration ▾
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Primaquine phosphate is recommended only for the radical cure of vivax malaria, the prevention of relapse in vivax malaria, or following the termination of chloroquine phosphate suppressive therapy in an area where vivax malaria is endemic. Patients suffering from an attack of vivax malaria or having parasitized red blood cells should receive a course of chloroquine phosphate, which quickly destroys the erythrocytic parasites and terminates the paroxysm. Primaquine phosphate should be administered concurrently in order to eradicate the exoerythrocytic parasites in a dosage of 1 tablet (equivalent to 15 mg base) daily for 14 days.
⛔ Contraindications ▾
CONTRAINDICATIONS Severe glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency (see WARNINGS ). Pregnant women (see WARNINGS , Usage in Pregnancy ). Primaquine phosphate is contraindicated in acutely ill patients suffering from systemic disease manifested by tendency to granulocytopenia, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus erythematosus.
The drug is also contraindicated in patients receiving concurrently other potentially hemolytic drugs or depressants of myeloid elements of the bone marrow. Because quinacrine hydrochloride appears to potentiate the toxicity of antimalarial compounds which are structurally related to primaquine, the use of quinacrine in patients receiving primaquine is contraindicated. Similarly, primaquine should not be administered to patients who have received quinacrine recently, as toxicity is increased.
⚠️ Warnings ▾
WARNINGS Hemolytic anemia and G6PD deficiency Due to the risk of hemolytic anemia in patients with G6PD deficiency, G6PD testing has to be performed before using primaquine. Due to the limitations of G6PD tests, physicians need to be aware of residual risk of hemolysis and adequate medical support and follow-up to manage hemolytic risk should be available. Primaquine should not be prescribed for patients with severe G6PD deficiency (see CONTRAINDICATIONS ).
In case of mild to moderate G6PD deficiency, a decision to prescribe primaquine must be based on an assessment of the risks and benefits of using primaquine. If primaquine administration is considered, baseline hematocrit and hemoglobin must be checked before treatment and close hematological monitoring (e.g. at day 3 and 8) is required. Adequate medical support to manage hemolytic risk should be available.
When the G6PD status is unknown and G6PD testing is not available, a decision to prescribe primaquine must be based on an assessment of the risks and benefits of using primaquine. Risk factors for G6PD deficiency or favism must be assessed. Baseline hematocrit and hemoglobin must be checked before treatment and close hematological monitoring (e.g. at day 3 and 8) is required.
Adequate medical support to manage hemolytic risk should be available. Discontinue the use of primaquine phosphate promptly if signs suggestive of hemolytic anemia occur (darkening of the urine, marked fall of hemoglobin or erythrocytic count). Hemolytic reactions (moderate to severe) may occur in individuals with G6PD deficiency and in individuals with a family or personal history of favism.
Areas of high prevalence of G6PD deficiency are Africa, Southern Europe, Mediterranean region, Middle East, South-East Asia, and Oceania. People from these regions have a greater tendency to develop hemolytic anemia (due to a congenital deficiency of erythrocytic G6PD) while receiving primaquine and related drugs. Usage in Pregnancy Safe usage of this preparation in pregnancy has not been established.
Primaquine is contraindicated in pregnant women. Even if a pregnant woman is G6PD normal, the fetus may not be (see CONTRAINDICATIONS ). Animal data show toxicity to reproduction.
Nonclinical data from studies conducted in bacteria and in animals treated with primaquine show evidence of gene mutations and chromosomal/DNA damage, teratogenicity, and injury to embryos and developing fetuses when primaquine is administered to pregnant animals. Patients must be informed of the potential for adverse genetic and reproductive effects associated with Primaquine treatment (See PRECAUTIONS , Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, and Impairment of fertility , and Animal Pharmacology and /or Animal Toxicology ). Use in Females and Males of Reproductive Potential Pregnancy Testing Sexually-active females of reproductive potential should have a pregnancy test prior to starting treatment with Primaquine.
Contraception Patients should avoid pregnancy during treatment. The use of effective contraception is recommended during treatment and after the end of treatment as follows: Advise sexually-active females of child bearing potential to use effective contraception (methods that result in less than 1% pregnancy rates) when using Primaquine and after stopping treatment until completion of an on-going ovulatory cycle (e.g., up to next menses). Advise treated males whose partners may become pregnant, to use a condom while on treatment and for 3 months after stopping treatment with Primaquine.
Lactation It is not known whether primaquine is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk and because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants from primaquine, a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.
🤒 Adverse Reactions ▾
ADVERSE REACTIONS To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, please call AvKARE at 1-855-361-3993 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch Gastrointestinal: Nausea, vomiting, epigastric distress, and abdominal cramps. Hematologic: Leukopenia, hemolytic anemia in G6PD deficient individuals, and methemoglobinemia in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) methemoglobin reductase deficient individuals. Cardiac: Cardiac arrhythmia and QT interval prolongation (see PRECAUTIONS , OVERDOSAGE ).
Nervous System: Dizziness. Skin and Soft Tissue: Rash, pruritus.
🔄 Drug Interactions ▾
Drug Interactions Caution is advised if primaquine is used concomitantly with other drugs that prolong the QT interval (see PRECAUTIONS , ADVERSE REACTIONS , and OVERDOSAGE ).
🧓 Geriatric Use ▾
Geriatric Use Clinical studies of primaquine did not include sufficient numbers of subjects aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond differently from younger subjects. Other reported clinical experience has not identified differences in responses between the elderly and younger patients. In general, dose selection for an elderly patient should be cautious, usually starting at the low end of the dosing range, reflecting the greater frequency of decreased hepatic, renal, or cardiac function, and of concomitant disease or other drug therapy.
🆘 Overdosage ▾
OVERDOSAGE Symptoms of overdosage of primaquine phosphate include abdominal cramps, vomiting, burning epigastric distress, central nervous system and cardiovascular disturbances, including cardiac arrhythmia and QT interval prolongation, cyanosis, methemoglobinemia, moderate leukocytosis or leukopenia, and anemia. The most striking symptoms are granulocytopenia and acute hemolytic anemia in G6PD deficient patients. Acute hemolysis occurs, but patients recover completely if the dosage is discontinued.
🧬 Clinical Pharmacology ▾
CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY Primaquine phosphate is an 8-amino-quinoline compound which eliminates tissue (exoerythrocytic) infection. Thereby, it prevents the development of the blood (erythrocytic) forms of the parasite which are responsible for relapses in vivax malaria. Primaquine phosphate is also active against gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum.
📦 How Supplied / Storage and Handling ▾
HOW SUPPLIED Primaquine Phosphate Tablets, USP are supplied as orange colored, round, biconvex, film-coated tablets of 26.3 mg (= 15 mg base), debossed with a "059" on one side and plain on the other side. Available in bottles of 100 (NDC 42291-510-01) Store at 25° C (77° F); excursions permitted to 15° C – 30° C (59° F – 86° F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature] Dispense in tight, light-resistant container as defined in the USP/NF.
📋 Description ▾
DESCRIPTION Primaquine phosphate is 8-[(4-Amino-1-methylbutyl)-amino]-6- methoxyquinoline phosphate, a synthetic compound with potent antimalarial activity. Each tablet contains 26.3 mg of primaquine phosphate (equivalent to 15 mg of primaquine base). The dosage is customarily expressed in terms of the base.
Inactive Ingredients: Hypromellose, Lactose Monohydrate, Magnesium Stearate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Triacetin, Pregelatinized Starch, FD&C Yellow#6/Sunset Yellow FCF Aluminum Lake, Talc, Titanium Dioxide.