glucotrol

How long does Glipizide stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of glipizide is about 2 to 4 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 elimination half-life in normal subjects; the label reports the same 2-4 hours whether the drug is given orally or intravenously. No active-metabolite caveat: the label states glipizide's primary metabolites are inactive hydroxylation products and polar conjugates, so nothing outlasts the parent drug. Note that blood-glucose lowering can persist up to ~24 hours after a single dose even though plasma levels have fallen far below peak — the pharmacologic effect outlasts the plasma half-life, but that is not the same as the elimination half-life. This immediate-release glipizide label does NOT give a separate numeric half-life for older adults or for kidney or liver impairment, so no adjusted figure is reported here; glipizide is extensively metabolized in the liver with <10% excreted unchanged in urine.

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: Glipizide tablet — DailyMed label, Clinical Pharmacology / Pharmacokinetics.

Frequently asked questions

What does Glucotrol treat?

Glucotrol (Glipizide) may be used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus, 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 Glucotrol rated?

pharmaranks gives Glucotrol a composite score of 3.2 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 Glucotrol 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 $1.41 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. Pharmacies pay less for a same-class option, Glimepiride — about $1.00 on the same basis.

Is there a coupon or discount for Glucotrol?

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

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

Is Glucotrol a brand-name or generic drug?

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

Is Glucotrol available over the counter?

No. Glucotrol 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 Glucotrol come in?

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

What class of drug is Glucotrol?

Glucotrol is classified as sulfonylurea, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.

Is Glucotrol FDA-registered?

Glucotrol is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number NDA017783. You can verify this on its official FDA label.

Has Glucotrol been recalled by the FDA?

Glucotrol 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 Glucotrol safe?

There's no single safe-or-not verdict. pharmaranks gives Glucotrol a recall-safety score of 64/100, 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.