pravachol

How long does Pravastatin Sodium stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of pravastatin sodium is about 1.8 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 FDA label reports an elimination half-life of about 1.8 hours for pravastatin itself; the half-life for total radioactivity (parent plus metabolites) is 77 hours, but the main metabolite (SQ 31,906) has only 1/10 to 1/40 of the parent's activity, so there is no potent active metabolite that meaningfully outlasts the drug. Unlike simvastatin and lovastatin, pravastatin is not a prodrug — it is given in its active form. Despite the short blood half-life, the cholesterol-lowering effect persists over once-daily dosing. Systemic exposure rises in severe kidney impairment (higher AUC/Cmax) and can increase markedly with liver impairment.

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: Pravastatin Sodium Tablet — FDA Label (DailyMed), Clinical Pharmacology / Pharmacokinetics.

Frequently asked questions

What does Pravachol treat?

Pravachol (Pravastatin Sodium) may be used to treat coronary artery disease, hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipoproteinemias, hypertriglyceridemia, 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 Pravachol work?

Pravachol is a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor. Statins block HMG-CoA reductase, the key enzyme the liver uses to make cholesterol. With less cholesterol being produced, the liver pulls more LDL ("bad") cholesterol out of the blood, lowering overall blood cholesterol levels.

How is Pravachol rated?

pharmaranks gives Pravachol 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 Pravachol 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 $2.02 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, Atorvaliq — about $0.92 on the same basis.

Is there a coupon or discount for Pravachol?

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

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

Is Pravachol a brand-name or generic drug?

Pravachol is a brand-name product with the active ingredient Pravastatin Sodium.

Is Pravachol available over the counter?

No. Pravachol 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 Pravachol come in?

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

What class of drug is Pravachol?

Pravachol is classified as hmg-coa reductase inhibitor, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.

Is Pravachol FDA-registered?

Pravachol is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number NDA019898. You can verify this on its official FDA label.

Has Pravachol been recalled by the FDA?

Pravachol 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 Pravachol safe?

There's no single safe-or-not verdict. pharmaranks gives Pravachol 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.