Therapeutic class — broad (HIC1)Skin/Subcutaneous Tissue
HIC2 codeL9
Therapeutic class — intermediate (HIC2)Dermatologic Preparations,Miscellaneous
HIC3 codeL9B
Therapeutic class — specific (HIC3)Vitamin A Derivatives
AHFS code84:28.00.00
AHFS classKeratolytic Agents
FDB label nameADAPALENE 0.1% GEL
FDB brand nameAdapalene
Legend statusO — Over-the-counter (OTC) drug or device
Why two NDCs?
The FDA registers this code as 51672-2150-6 — a 5-4-1 layout, and that's what's printed on the package and shown on DailyMed. For insurance claims, every NDC is standardized to a uniform 11-digit 5-4-2 format by adding a zero to the package segment → 51672-2150-06. Same drug, same package — only the format differs.
Where does this data come from?
Identifiers from the FDA openFDA NDC Directory and Structured Product Labeling; RxCUI from RxNorm (NLM); GPI from Medi-Span; GCN / HIC / AHFS / legend from First Databank.
🏷️RxNorm drug class
This medicine belongs to the Retinoid class.
Pharmacologic classRetinoid
Drug family (ATC)Retinoids for topical use in acne
Where does this data come from?
Therapeutic classes from RxNorm RxClass (U.S. National Library of Medicine) — Established Pharmacologic Class (FDA), ATC drug family (WHO) and mechanism of action, matched by this product’s RxCUI.
The labeler markets the product; the application holder owns the FDA approval. They’re often the same company but can differ (e.g. a repackager or an authorized generic). A mailing address / phone appears here when the manufacturer includes it in the product’s FDA label (not all do).
Where does this data come from?
Labeler, application holder and registered establishment from the FDA openFDA NDC Directory and Drugs@FDA; address/contact from the product’s FDA label.
🩺 Clinical
Label name ADAPALENE 0.1% GELIngredient Adapalene
📖 What it is MedlinePlus · NLM
Adapalene is used to treat acne in adults and children 12 years of and older. Adapalene is in a class of medications called retinoid-like compounds. It works by stopping pimples from forming under the surface of the skin.
Most people start to see meaningful improvement after 8 to 12 weeks of consistent use. In the early weeks, your acne might actually look a little worse before it gets better — this...
How long does it take for adapalene to clear up my acne?
Yes, redness, dryness, flaking, and mild stinging are the most common side effects, especially in the first few weeks. They're usually mild to moderate and tend to get better as yo...
My skin is really red and dry after starting adapalene — is that normal?
Plain-language summary from MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine); supplement & herbal interactions and nutrient depletion data from the Natural Medicines database; our full guide is HelloPharmacist editorial content.
💬 Questions about Adapalene?
Ask a licensed pharmacist directly — free, answered by our team.
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.
Loading inactive ingredients from the official FDA label in the background. No external source is being called by this page request.
Where does this data come from?
Source: official FDA Structured Product Labeling (SPL) via DailyMed and the openFDA label index. Structured IACT rows and label-wide narrative are kept separate; availability and product-level specificity depend on the submitted label.
Inactive ingredient FAQ
Are inactive ingredients the same for every manufacturer?
No. Inactive ingredients can differ by manufacturer, dosage form, strength, and package / product version.
Why might an inactive ingredient be missing?
Some SPLs do not provide a complete structured inactive-ingredient list, and older or unusual labels may only include the information in narrative text.
Can inactive ingredients matter?
Yes. They can matter for allergies, intolerances, dyes, gluten / lactose concerns, preservatives, and formulation differences — but confirm with a pharmacist or the manufacturer when it’s clinically important.
💲 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 g
Per package
Retail pharmacies payNADAC · weekly
$0.337
$15.14 / 45 g
Medicaid paysCMS SDUD · 12 mo
$0.5051
$22.73 / 45 g
Medicare drug plans payPart D · quarterly
No Part D plan price is available for this NDC in our data.
NADAC price history (per g) — tap or hover for the price & month
▼ Down 12% over the last 10 months.
Where does this data come from?
NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) is the CMS weekly pharmacy-acquisition-cost survey — what pharmacies pay. ASP (Average Sales Price) is the CMS Medicare Part B drug-payment file, published quarterly. Medicaid pays is computed by us from CMS State Drug Utilization Data (total reimbursed ÷ units, trailing 12 months) — gross of rebates and inclusive of dispensing fees, so it reflects what Medicaid paid, not an acquisition cost. Medicare drug plans pay is the median negotiated point-of-sale unit cost across plans listing this NDC in the CMS quarterly Prescription Drug Plan pricing files, before rebates. The VA pays is the federal contract price (FSS, and the statutory Big 4 ceiling where listed) from the VA National Acquisition Center pharmaceutical price file. All are free public government data; each measures a different payer, so the figures are not directly comparable.
About this product: this is a generic version of the medicine. FDA equivalence ratings are shown when available, and other versions are listed above, least expensive first.
Where does this data come from?
Equivalents are other NDCs of the same ingredient, form and route from the openFDA NDC Directory, ranked least-expensive-first by NADAC. Therapeutic-equivalence (AB) ratings come from the FDA Orange Book; biologics use the FDA Purple Book for biosimilar & interchangeable status.
⏳ Availability & generic status
🏛️
2022
On the market since
Jan 2022
📍
2026
Currently FDA-listed
4 years listed
🔓
·
Generic on the market
this product is a generic
✅This is a generic drug
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?
Patents and exclusivity from the FDA Orange Book (small-molecule drugs), refreshed from public FDA data. Generic launch timing is an estimate, not a guarantee.
🗺️ Medicaid utilization & spend
📍 This exact package only: Medicaid data is reported per full 11-digit NDC — labeler, product and pack size — so every number here is for 51672-2150-06, not the drug overall. Other pack sizes report separately.
💊 Pharmacy benefit only: These are Medicaid outpatient pharmacy claims, billed by NDC. They exclude the medical benefit — clinic- or hospital-administered drugs billed under HCPCS J-codes — so drugs used mostly that way (e.g. Avastin, Lucentis, Keytruda) can look low or missing here. That’s expected, not an error.
📅 Q3 2025 – Q1 2026 · 3 quarters of data
ⓘ The newest quarter is usually incomplete when first published; states restate recent quarters in later CMS releases, so the latest figures typically revise upward. State coverage-policy changes can also shift quarter-to-quarter totals.
Prescriptions last 4 qtrs
828
Units reimbursed last 4 qtrs
37.5K
Gross reimbursed last 4 qtrs
$18.9K
Avg / prescription
$22.85
Avg / unit
$0.5051
Latest quarter Q1 2026
531Rx
Medicaid pays / g
$0.5051
gross reimbursed
vs
NADAC / g
$0.3365
acquisition cost
=
Spread
+$0.1686
+50% vs cost
What Medicaid paid per g (before rebates; includes the pharmacy’s dispensing fee) compared with NADAC — the average price pharmacies pay to buy the drug. A positive spread means Medicaid reimbursed more than the purchase price, before manufacturer rebates.
Fee-for-service vs managed care ⓘ
46% FFS54% MCO
Fee-for-service · 383 Rx Managed care · 445 Rx
State Medicaid map
Units reimbursed · per 100k residents
4.974.1
gray = no data reported ⓘ
Colors are per 100,000 residents, so big states don’t automatically dominate. Tap or hover a state for its actual totals.
Tap or hover a state
…for its Medicaid breakdown
Prescriptions—
Units—
Reimbursed—
🏆 Top states by units · per 100k residents
1Ohio74.1 /100k
2Minnesota45.2 /100k
3Nebraska31.9 /100k
4California30.5 /100k
5Michigan28.0 /100k
6Pennsylvania19.8 /100k
7Connecticut18.7 /100k
8New York18.5 /100k
National units — by quarter
💵 About the dollar figures: “reimbursed” is what Medicaid paid pharmacies before confidential manufacturer rebates, so the program’s real net cost is lower than these numbers. Fee-for-service and managed-care claims are combined unless split above. Source: CMS State Drug Utilization Data; per-100k rates use 2023 Census population estimates.
💊 Medicaid utilization by pack size
Medicaid (SDUD) totals over the four most recent reported quarters for every package size of this drug — handy when a specific package (e.g. a starter/titration pack) carries little or no Medicaid volume on its own.
Drug total (last 4 qtrs): 1,198 Rx · 45,871 units · $23,951 gross reimbursed
Tap a pack size to open its page. Source: CMS State Drug Utilization Data, last 4 quarters.
📊 Medicare Part D spend CMS · PART D · 2026 (Q1)
Medicare Part D (outpatient prescription) spending for Adapalene — the program that covers self-administered drugs. 8 manufacturers.
⚠️ Drug-level data: CMS publishes Part D spending by drug, not by NDC — these figures combine every manufacturer, strength and package size sold under the name Adapalene. That’s a different level of aggregation than the Medicaid card above, which is specific to this exact 11-digit NDC (pack size included), so the two aren’t directly comparable.
Period
Total Part D spend
$999.6K
Claims incl. refills
2.4K
Beneficiaries
1.8K
Spend / beneficiary
$553.81
Spend / claim
$410.69
Trend by period
💵 About the dollar figures: spending is what Part D plans paid before confidential manufacturer rebates, so the program’s real net cost is lower. A blank patient count means fewer than 11 people — CMS hides counts that small to protect privacy. Source: CMS Medicare Quarterly Part D Spending by Drug (data.cms.gov), updated quarterly.
🔬 Reported adverse events (FAERS)
Read carefully: FAERS reports are voluntary and unverified. Counts are not incidence, do not establish causation, are subject to reporting bias, and cannot be used to compare one drug to another. Shown for signal context only. Reports for Adapalene — the ingredient across all brands.
Top reported reactions
Dry Skin45,488
Skin Burning Sensation41,990
Acne39,479
Erythema38,668
Skin Irritation26,529
Skin Exfoliation21,435
Rash15,765
Age at onset
Infant1
Child31
Adolescent122
Adult596
Elderly14
Reporter sex
Male · 22%
Female · 78%
Unknown · 0%
Serious outcomes
Hospitalization377
Disabling41
Life-threatening40
Reports over time (by year) — tap or hover for the count & year
Most recent year is provisional (FAERS lags ~3 months).
Where does this data come from?
Adverse-event reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA. FAERS reports are voluntary and unverified — counts are not incidence and don’t establish causation.
1 TUBE in 1 CARTON (51672-2150-1) / 15 g in 1 TUBE
$0.4655 / g
$6.98
2022-01-14
Active
51672-2150-06 You're viewing this
1 TUBE in 1 CARTON (51672-2150-6) / 45 g in 1 TUBE
$0.3365 / g
$15.14
2022-01-14
Active
This pack has the lowest per-g cost of the 2 priced pack sizes ($0.3365 NADAC).
In Medicaid, this is the most-dispensed pack of this product — about 69% of fills over the last four reported quarters. See all packs ↓
Pack size FAQ
What quantity is in NDC 51672-2150-06?
NDC 51672-2150-06 is listed by the FDA — 1 tube in 1 carton / 45 g in 1 tube.
What NDC number is used to bill for this package of Adapalene 1 mg/g Gel?
Bill NDC 51672-2150-06 — the 11-digit billing format is 51672215006. Pharmacy and medical claims use the 11-digit form; the FDA label may print a shorter form of the same code.
Prices are the latest CMS NADAC pharmacy acquisition cost per NDC; per-pack figures are per-unit × pack quantity, shown only when the pack is denominated in the same measure NADAC prices.
📄 FDA label — Drug Facts FDA SPL
The complete FDA label for this product — the official Drug Facts labeling, verbatim, section by section. Jump with a chip, search within the label, or expand everything.
Directions Adults and children 12 years of age and older: use once daily clean the skin gently and pat dry before applying the product cover the entire affected area with a thin layer. For example, if your acne is on the face, apply the product to the entire face. do not use more than one time a day. Applying more than directed will not provide faster or better results, but may worsen skin irritation. Children under 12 years of age: ask a doctor
⚠️Warnings~1 min read▾
Warnings For external use only Do not use on damaged skin (cuts, abrasions, eczema, sunburn) if you are allergic to adapalene or any of the ingredients in this product. If pregnant or breast-feeding, ask a doctor before use. When using this product limit sun exposure, including light from tanning beds, and use sunscreen when going outdoors do not wax to remove hair in areas where the product has been applied during the early weeks of use, your acne may appear to worsen before it improves (this is normal); continue using as directed, unless you get irritation that becomes severe irritation (redness, itching, dryness, burning) is more likely to occur: in the first few weeks of use if using more than one topical acne medication at a time but irritation usually lessens with continued use of this product it may take up to 3 months of once daily use to see results avoid product contact with eyes, lips, and mouth.
If contact occurs, immediately flush the area with water. wash hands after use Stop use and ask doctor if you become pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant, while using the product you have symptoms of an allergic reaction (such as itching, rash, hives, swelling of the lips, eyelids, and shortness of breath) irritation becomes severe you see no improvement after 3 months of once daily use Keep out of reach of children. If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.
📦Storage and Handling34 words▾
Other information TAMPER EVIDENT: DO NOT USE IF THE SEAL ON THE TUBE IS PUNCTURED OR NOT VISIBLE. store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature]. protect from freezing
🧪Active Ingredient10 words▾
Active ingredient Adapalene USP, 0.1% (retinoid) read consumer information leaflet
For educational and professional reference only — not medical advice. Pricing reflects published
NADAC and CMS ASP (free public data) and may differ from your acquisition cost; always verify before billing or dispensing.