Sterile Water Irrigation Solution shortage
Sterile water irrigation solutions are on the FDA’s drug shortage list as of Oct 5, 2026. The companies reporting it blame a company discontinuing its product and rising demand. 1 other company sells the same medicine and has not reported a problem, so your pharmacy may be able to order another company’s version.
Sterile Water Irrigant is currently in shortage, driven by manufacturing discontinuations and rising demand. Most strengths still have supply from other makers, including B. Braun Medical and ICU Medical.
Don’t stop or change your therapy on your own — ask your pharmacist about other companies’ versions (see options) and your prescriber about a long-term plan.
Do you take this medicine? See the ‘What to do’ note from Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD →Is sterile water still in shortage? — status as of Oct 5, 2026
Yes, still current as of Oct 5, 2026. Every size is still made by at least one company. 2 of the 3 companies that reported this shortage say they still have some supply, and 1 other company sells the same medicine and has not reported a problem. Your pharmacy may still need to order it or offer another company’s version.
The charts count only the companies that reported this shortage to the FDA; companies that haven’t reported a problem are in the green card, and the Supply-Risk rating counts them too.
Shortage timeline
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Oct 1, 2026Currently in shortage9 of 9 products affected.
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Sep 22, 2026FDA refreshed this shortage record2 products updated.
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Sep 17, 2026FDA refreshed this shortage record3 products updated.
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Apr 28, 2023First reported to the FDA9 products first listed.
Built from FDA posting and update dates. The end date FDA publishes is the posting/update date, not a true resolution date, so durations are approximate.
Which sterile water products are affected — by company
Company: B. Braun Medical Inc. 📞 800-227-2862 2 NDCS click to expand
| Status | NDC / product | Size | Availability | Related information | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Sterile Water Irrigation Solution, 1 mL/1 mL | 1 mL/1 mL | Available | — | — |
| Current | Sterile Water Irrigation Solution, 1 mL/1 mL | 1 mL/1 mL | Available | — | — |
Company: Baxter Healthcare 📞 888-229-0001 3 NDCS click to expand
| Status | NDC / product | Size | Availability | Related information | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Sterile Water Irrigation Solution, 100 mL/100 mL | 100 mL/100 mL | Limited Availability | Estimated recovery: September 2026 | Demand increase for the drug |
| Current | Sterile Water Irrigation Solution, 100 mL/100 mL | 100 mL/100 mL | Available | — | — |
| Current | Sterile Water Irrigation Solution, 100 mL/100 mL | 100 mL/100 mL | Available | — | — |
Company: Otsuka ICU Medical LLC 📞 1-866-829-9025 or [email protected] 4 NDCS click to expand
| Status | NDC / product | Size | Availability | Related information | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Sterile Water Irrigation Solution, 1 mL/1 mL | 1 mL/1 mL | Unavailable | Product temporarily unavailable. Estimated recovery: TBD. This product is distributed by ICU Medical. For questions regarding this product, please contact ICU Medical. | Discontinuation of the manufacture of the drug |
| Current | Sterile Water Irrigation Solution, 1 mL/1 mL | 1 mL/1 mL | Unavailable | Product temporarily unavailable. Estimated recovery: TBD. This product is distributed by ICU Medical. For questions regarding this product, please contact ICU Medical. | Discontinuation of the manufacture of the drug |
| Current | Sterile Water Irrigation Solution, 1 mL/1 mL | 1 mL/1 mL | Unavailable | Product temporarily unavailable. Estimated recovery: TBD. This product is distributed by ICU Medical. For questions regarding this product, please contact ICU Medical. | Discontinuation of the manufacture of the drug |
| Current | Sterile Water Irrigation Solution, 1 mL/1 mL | 1 mL/1 mL | Unavailable | Product temporarily unavailable. Estimated recovery: TBD. This product is distributed by ICU Medical. For questions regarding this product, please contact ICU Medical. | Discontinuation of the manufacture of the drug |
These rows are company reports to the FDA for Sterile Water Irrigation Solution — they do not cover every company that lists this medicine. A company appears here only if it told the FDA it has a supply problem, so other companies may still have stock. That’s the basis for the Where else can I get sterile water? options further down this page.
Why is sterile water in shortage?
There are two separate supply situations reported here, involving two different manufacturers. For Otsuka ICU Medical LLC (distributed by ICU Medical), all of their Sterile Water Irrigant products have temporarily stopped being made — and right now there's no estimated date for when they'll be back. The FDA lists this as a manufacturing discontinuation, though no specific reason beyond that was shared publicly.
Separately, Baxter Healthcare has one of their 100 mL/100 mL Sterile Water Irrigant package sizes in limited supply, because more people than usual are needing it right now. Baxter's other 100 mL packages are still available, and the limited-supply one is expected to recover by September 2026. It's also worth noting that B. Braun Medical Inc. is reporting their products as available at this time.
Based on the company-reported reason(s) and notes on file with the FDA for Sterile Water Irrigation Solution, summarized in plain English by HelloPharmacist. A drug can be short for more than one reason, and the FDA updates these as companies report changes.
What should I do if I take sterile water?
Sterile Water Irrigant is currently on the FDA drug-shortage list, but both strengths still have a working source, so supply overall remains in good shape.
Here is how the two strengths look right now:
- 1 mL/1 mL: One manufacturer (ICU Medical) has marked its supply unavailable, in part because it is discontinuing production. However, B. Braun still reports this strength as available.
- 100 mL/100 mL: This strength is available, though one set of containers is listed with limited availability and an estimated recovery of September 2026.
The reported reasons are a discontinuation by one manufacturer and increased demand. Because more than one company still supplies this product, your strength can likely be found even if one maker steps back.
Here are practical steps you can take:
- Do not stop, skip, or change how you use this product on your own.
- If your strength still has supply, ask your pharmacy to order it — they can check wholesalers and other manufacturers.
- The same medicine is made by B. Braun and Baxter; your pharmacy may be able to source one of these, though it may not be in local stock.
- If your exact item cannot be found, ask your pharmacist or prescriber about suitable options.
Manufacturer contact numbers are listed on this page for reference; pharmacies usually handle those calls. This reflects national data and may not match your local pharmacy's stock.
- Ask your pharmacy to check other companies’ versions, other sizes, package sizes, and nearby stores — the options below are a starting point.
- If this is part of an ongoing or essential regimen (for example HIV, seizure, heart, transplant, diabetes or mental-health medicines), arrange continued supply before you run out rather than rationing doses.
Uses, dosing, side effects, prices, and the complete FDA label — written in plain English and pharmacist-reviewed.
Where else can I get sterile water?
FDA shortages are company-reported — a company only shows up on the shortage list if it told the FDA it has a supply problem, so not every company that lists sterile water irrigation solutions is necessarily short. Below are the other listings in the current FDA NDC Directory that are not reported in shortage: the same medicine from companies that haven’t reported a problem (the reporting companies are excluded), and other dosage forms. Some listings are repackagers, which relabel another company’s product. These may still be out of stock at your pharmacy, and only your prescriber or pharmacist can decide what’s right for you.
Same medicine from other companies (not reporting a shortage)
Same active ingredient, dosage form & route as the shortage (matched on the FDB HICL ingredient code), from companies that have not filed a shortage with the FDA:
| Product | Strength | Form / route | Company | NDC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterile Water | WATER 1 mL/mL | Irrigant · Irrigation | ICU Medical Inc. | 00990-7973-05 |
Other dosage forms of sterile water
A different form of the same drug (for example a solution when capsules are short). A form change is a clinical decision — ask your prescriber:
Therapeutic equivalents & pricing 11 productsclick to expand
Orange Book–rated equivalents of the affected sizes, with the latest NADAC price (a federal retail-acquisition benchmark, not your copay) and an evidence-based availability label. Cheapest first.
| Product | Manufacturer | Package | NADAC $/unit | AB rating | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterile Water 1 mL/mL | B. | 1000 ml | — | AT | FDA listed |
| Sterile Water 100 mL/100mL | B. | 2000 ml | — | AT | FDA listed |
| Sterile Water 100 mL/100mL | Baxter | 1000 ml | — | AT | FDA listed |
| Sterile Water 100 mL/100mL | Baxter | 24 bottles | — | AT | FDA listed |
| Sterile Water 1 mL/mL | ICU | 12 pouches | — | AT | FDA listed |
| Sterile Water 1 mL/mL | Becton | 1000 ml | — | AT | FDA listed |
| Sterile Water 1 mL/mL | Fresenius | 1000 ml | — | AT | FDA listed |
| Sterile Water 1 mL/mL | Fresenius | 2000 ml | — | AT | FDA listed |
| Sterile Water 1 mL/mL | Fresenius | 3000 ml | — | AT | FDA listed |
| Sterile Water 1 mL/mL | B. | 500 ml | — | AT | FDA listed |
| Sterile Water 100 mL/100mL | Baxter | 12 bottles | — | AT | FDA listed |
Equivalents share the same ingredient, strength, dosage form and route; an AB rating means the FDA considers them substitutable. NADAC is a national retail-pharmacy acquisition benchmark from CMS — not what you pay. Availability is inferred from recent pricing, not a stock check.
Other drugs in the same treatment class
These are different medicines — not other versions of sterile water — that fall in the same broad treatment class (irrigants) . They are not automatic substitutes: they can differ in how they work, dosing, effectiveness, side effects and what they’re approved to treat. Do not switch on your own. This list is for information only — ask your prescriber or pharmacist whether any of them is appropriate for you.
Codes & classification for pharmacists and billers
Where does this data come from?
Sterile water shortage FAQs
Is sterile water still in shortage?
Which sizes of sterile water are affected?
Why is sterile water in shortage?
Which sterile water products are affected?
When will sterile water be available again?
Can I still get sterile water somewhere?
What should I do if I take sterile water?
Still have a question about the sterile water shortage?
Ask a pharmacist about this shortage →View Sterile Water Irrigant on the FDA drug-shortage database →
Where does this data come from?
/drug/shortages) — drug, manufacturer & contact, NDC/product, status, availability, reason, therapeutic category and posting/update dates. Current / To Be Discontinued = active; Resolved is kept for history. The Supply-Risk rating is assessed per active ingredient and adds the FDA NDC Directory (companies listing the same ingredient & form — the "other companies" the rating counts); same-medicine and equivalent products use First Databank classification + CMS NADAC pricing; Medicaid use + most-affected states come from CMS Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data. Reference only — confirm current status with the manufacturer or FDA before acting on it.