aricept

How long does Donepezil Hydrochloride stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of donepezil hydrochloride is about 70 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. The label states plainly: "The elimination half life of donepezil is about 70 hours" — one figure, no separate distribution/terminal phases reported. That is unusually long for an oral drug: the label notes donepezil accumulates 4- to 7-fold with repeat dosing and does not reach steady state for about 15 days. Active metabolite: donepezil is extensively metabolized (CYP2D6 and CYP3A4) to four major metabolites, two of them active. The main one, 6-O-desmethyl donepezil, is reported to inhibit acetylcholinesterase to the same extent as donepezil in vitro and circulates at roughly 20% of donepezil's plasma concentration — but the label does NOT state its half-life, so no number is given here. Populations the label names: clearance falls with age (a 90-year-old has about 17% lower clearance than a 65-year-old; a 40-year-old about 33% higher), which the label calls possibly not clinically significant. In stable alcoholic cirrhosis, clearance was about 20% lower. In moderate-to-severe renal impairment (CrCl < 18 mL/min/1.73 m2), clearance did not differ from healthy matched subjects. CYP2D6 poor metabolizers clear it about 31.5% more slowly; ultra-rapid metabolizers about 24% faster. Half-life describes how the body clears the drug — it is not a drug-test detection window and not dosing guidance.

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: DailyMed — DONEPEZIL HYDROCHLORIDE tablet, film coated (FDA label, §12.3 Pharmacokinetics).

Frequently asked questions

What does Aricept treat?

Aricept (Donepezil Hydrochloride) may be used to treat alzheimer disease, 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 does Aricept work?

Aricept is a cholinesterase inhibitor. Cholinesterase inhibitors block the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, a chemical messenger nerves use to communicate. By letting acetylcholine build up and act longer, they can help preserve memory and thinking in Alzheimer's disease, where this messenger runs low.

How much does Aricept 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 $1.43 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 Aricept?

pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Aricept. To pay less, ask your prescriber or pharmacist whether a generic equivalent exists, check the manufacturer's copay/savings card and patient-assistance program, and compare a pharmacy discount card against your insurance copay. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.

Who makes Aricept?

Aricept is marketed by Eisai Inc. You can see Eisai Inc's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.

Is Aricept a brand-name or generic drug?

Aricept is a brand-name product with the active ingredient Donepezil Hydrochloride. Lower-cost generic equivalents containing Donepezil Hydrochloride are available — ask your pharmacist.

Is Aricept available over the counter?

No. Aricept 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 Aricept come in?

Aricept is currently marketed as tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.

What class of drug is Aricept?

Aricept is classified as cholinesterase inhibitor, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.

Is Aricept FDA-registered?

Aricept is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number NDA021719. You can verify this on its official FDA label.

Has Aricept been recalled by the FDA?

Aricept 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 Aricept safe?

There's no single safe-or-not verdict, and we don't yet have a composite recall-safety score for Aricept. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings below, and always consult a licensed professional.