buspar

Foods & drinks to be careful with

Well-established interactions for this medicine’s drug class, summarized from public health authorities. General information, not medical advice — always confirm with your pharmacist or the label.

• Grapefruit & grapefruit juice

  Watch out for: grapefruit and grapefruit juice (and, for some drugs, Seville oranges).

  Grapefruit blocks a gut enzyme (CYP3A4) that normally breaks this medicine down, so more of it can enter your blood — raising the risk of side effects.

  What to do: Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice with this medicine unless your pharmacist or the label says it's fine — check, because not every drug in a class is affected the same way.

  Source: Grapefruit Juice and Some Drugs Don't Mix — U.S. FDA

How long does Buspirone Hydrochloride stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of buspirone hydrochloride is about 2 to 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. This is the parent drug's elimination half-life; buspirone has an active metabolite (1-PP) with roughly one-quarter of its activity, but the label documents no longer metabolite half-life, so effective duration is not materially extended. Buspirone shows nonlinear pharmacokinetics, and blood levels rise sharply in liver impairment (steady-state AUC ~13-fold higher) and kidney impairment (~4-fold higher).

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: BUSPAR (buspirone hydrochloride) tablet — DailyMed.

Frequently asked questions

What does Buspar treat?

Buspar (Buspirone Hydrochloride) may be used to treat anxiety disorders, depressive disorder, intellectual disability, 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 Buspar rated?

pharmaranks gives Buspar a composite score of 3.6 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 Buspar 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 $1.27 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 Buspar?

pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Buspar. 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 Buspar?

Buspar is marketed by Bristol Myers Squibb. You can see Bristol Myers Squibb's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.

Is Buspar a brand-name or generic drug?

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

Is Buspar available over the counter?

No. Buspar 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 Buspar come in?

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

Is Buspar FDA-registered?

Buspar is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number NDA018731. You can verify this on its official FDA label.

Has Buspar been recalled by the FDA?

Buspar 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 Buspar safe?

There's no single safe-or-not verdict. pharmaranks gives Buspar a recall-safety score of 72/100, 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.