acyclovir

Storing Acyclovir, and how long it keeps

Quoted from this product’s own FDA label. Storage belongs to the product and its device, not to the drug in general — a pen and a tablet of the same medicine are kept completely differently.

• “Once diluted for administration, each dose should be used within 24 hours.”

How long does Acyclovir stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of acyclovir is about 2.5 to 3.3 hours — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. Acyclovir is cleared almost entirely by the kidneys — 62% to 91% of a dose leaves the body as unchanged drug — so the half-life tracks kidney function closely. The IV label tabulates it by creatinine clearance: 2.5 hours at CrCl above 80, 3 hours at 50–80, 3.5 hours at 15–50, and 19.5 hours in anuric patients, roughly an eightfold increase in severe kidney failure. Older adults reach higher plasma levels than younger adults, which the label attributes to age-related decline in renal function rather than to age itself; no separate geriatric half-life is given. There is no active metabolite that outlasts the parent — the only major urinary metabolite named is 9-carboxymethoxymethylguanine (up to 14.1% of the dose), and the label does not report a half-life for it. Liver impairment is not addressed in the pharmacokinetics section, consistent with renal rather than hepatic elimination. No extended-release oral acyclovir is marketed in the US; tablets, capsules, oral suspension and IV all reflect the same short elimination half-life. One drug effect worth naming: probenecid taken with acyclovir lengthens the mean half-life and raises overall exposure.

This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: Acyclovir Tablets, USP — FDA prescribing information, Clinical Pharmacology (DailyMed).

Frequently asked questions

What does Acyclovir treat?

Acyclovir (Acyclovir) may be used to treat chickenpox, herpes genitalis, herpes labialis, herpes zoster ophthalmicus, AIDS-related opportunistic infections, epstein-barr virus infections, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.

How is Acyclovir rated?

pharmaranks gives Acyclovir a composite score of 2.8 out of 5, currently based on 1 weighted source (FDA regulatory recall-safety data weighted highest). See our methodology at /how-we-rate.

How much does Acyclovir cost?

Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $4.83 for 30, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins.

Is there a coupon or discount for Acyclovir?

pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Acyclovir. To pay less, Acyclovir is already a generic — usually the lowest-cost version — so the main levers are comparing cash prices between pharmacies and using a pharmacy discount-card service. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.

Who makes Acyclovir?

Acyclovir is marketed by Teva. You can see Teva's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.

Is Acyclovir a brand-name or generic drug?

Acyclovir is a generic medication; its active ingredient is Acyclovir. Generics contain the same active ingredient as the brand-name original and are usually lower cost.

Is Acyclovir available over the counter?

No. Acyclovir is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.

What forms does Acyclovir come in?

Acyclovir is currently marketed as topical, capsule, injectable, solution, suspension and tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.

What class of drug is Acyclovir?

Acyclovir is classified as herpes simplex virus nucleoside analog dna polymerase inhibitor, herpes zoster virus nucleoside analog dna polymerase inhibitor, herpesvirus nucleoside analog dna polymerase inhibitor, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.

Is Acyclovir FDA-registered?

Acyclovir is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number ANDA074556. You can verify this on its official FDA label.

Has Acyclovir been recalled by the FDA?

Acyclovir has no FDA recalls recorded under its own application in the openFDA enforcement database. Its recall-safety score reflects its manufacturer's overall recall record. This is general reference, not medical advice — check the FDA recall database for the latest alerts.

Is Acyclovir safe?

There's no single safe-or-not verdict. pharmaranks gives Acyclovir a recall-safety score of 56/100, based on its FDA recall history (no recalls under its own FDA application) — not an efficacy or side-effect rating. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings before use, and always consult a licensed professional.