ACETYLCYSTEINE 10% VIAL (NOT FOR INJECTION)
For 1 mL
Pharmacies pay
$0.64 – $2.55 filed
1 × $0.63561 to $2.55393 per ML (the 9 NDCs differ)
CMS NADAC · nadac-national-average-drug-acquisition-cost-20261014.csv · eff. 2026-03-18, 2026-09-23 · as of 2026-10-14 · retrieved 2026-10-17
Medicare Part D paid
$0.94 filed
1 × $0.9436 per ML, Part D average
Medicare's price is not your price.
Medicare Part D · DSD_PTD_RY26_P04_V10_DY24_BGM.csv · eff. 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · as of 2026-06-25 · retrieved 2026-10-18
The spread
0.37× – 1.5× estimated
Medicare paid between 0.37× and 1.5× what pharmacies pay, depending on the NDC.
Part D averages every strength and form sold under “Acetylcysteine*” / “Acetylcysteine” into one figure, so it is not specific to this NDC.
OpenBill calculation · DSD_PTD_RY26_P04_V10_DY24_BGM.csv + nadac-national-average-drug-acquisition-cost-20261014.csv · NADAC eff. 2026-03-18, 2026-09-23 (file of 2026-10-14, retrieved 2026-10-17) · Part D 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 (file of 2026-06-25, retrieved 2026-10-18)
Cost-plus estimate
$5.74 – $7.93 estimated
NADAC for the pack + 15% + $5.00 fee per fill
This is a model, not a price any pharmacy quoted. Shipping is not included. For a pack this cheap, the $5.00 fee is most of the estimate. How it is worked out
OpenBill calculation · nadac-national-average-drug-acquisition-cost-20261014.csv · NADAC eff. 2026-09-23 (file of 2026-10-14, retrieved 2026-10-17)
Open the interactive card Change the quantity, type what you were charged, and see every record in full.
What it is
ACETYLCYSTEINE 10% VIAL (NOT FOR INJECTION) is how the CMS NADAC file names this product. The FDA NDC Directory lists it as acetylcysteine.
FDA gives its dosage form as “solution” and “inhalant” and its route as “oral; respiratory (inhalation)” and “respiratory (inhalation)”.
FDA lists 5 labelers (the companies named on the label) for its NDCs, among them Hospira, Inc., American Regent, Inc. and Cameron Pharmaceuticals.
FDA lists it under 3 Established Pharmacologic Classes: Antidote, Antidote for Acetaminophen Overdose and Mucolytic.
The NADAC file of 2026-10-14 prices it under 9 NDCs (National Drug Codes); the FDA directory lists 7 of them.
NADAC classes it as a generic drug (rate-setting class G), and does not mark it as sold over the counter.
What pharmacies pay
Pharmacies pay $0.64 – $2.55 for 1 mL, depending on the NDC ($0.63561 to $2.55393 per ML), by the CMS NADAC file of 2026-10-14; those prices took effect between 2026-03-18 and 2026-09-23. That is what pharmacies pay their suppliers, not what they charge you.
NADAC’s explanation codes for it: 1, calculated from the most recently completed pharmacy survey; 4, carried forward from the previous file; 5, calculated based on package size.
The NADAC of 3 of these 9 NDCs was carried forward from an earlier file (NADAC explanation code 2 or 4), not newly surveyed: those prices took effect on 2026-03-18. The file is new; the price is not.
What NADAC measures · NADAC explanation codes · Carried-forward prices
The 5 labelers
| Labeler | NDCs | Pharmacies pay per unit |
|---|---|---|
| Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC | 3 | $0.63561 to $2.55393 per ML filed |
| American Regent, Inc. | 1 | $2.55393 per ML filed |
| Cameron Pharmaceuticals | 1 | $2.55393 per ML filed |
| Hospira, Inc. | 1 | $0.63561 per ML filed |
| Somerset Therapeutics, LLC | 1 | $2.55393 per ML filed |
| Not listed as a package in the FDA directory | 2 | $0.9656 per ML filed |
When these prices took effect
- 2026-09-23 · 6 NDCs · $0.63561 to $2.55393 per ML filed
- 2026-03-18 · 3 NDCs, all carried forward from an earlier file · $0.9656 per ML filed
All 9 NDCs, with labeler and price
- 00409-3307-03 · Hospira, Inc. · $0.63561 per ML · eff. 2026-09-23 filed
- 00409-3307-11 · not listed as a package in the FDA directory · $0.9656 per ML · eff. 2026-03-18 filed carried forward
- 00517-7504-25 · American Regent, Inc. · $2.55393 per ML · eff. 2026-09-23 filed
- 42494-0435-25 · Cameron Pharmaceuticals · $2.55393 per ML · eff. 2026-09-23 filed
- 63323-0691-22 · not listed as a package in the FDA directory · $0.9656 per ML · eff. 2026-03-18 filed carried forward
- 63323-0691-30 · Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC · $0.63561 per ML · eff. 2026-09-23 filed
- 63323-0693-10 · Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC · $0.9656 per ML · eff. 2026-03-18 filed carried forward
- 63323-0695-04 · Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC · $2.55393 per ML · eff. 2026-09-23 filed
- 70069-0018-25 · Somerset Therapeutics, LLC · $2.55393 per ML · eff. 2026-09-23 filed
Other strengths, forms and brands
1 other product in the NADAC file shares the FDA nonproprietary name acetylcysteine with ACETYLCYSTEINE 10% VIAL (NOT FOR INJECTION).
| Product | Pharmacies pay per unit | Medicare per unit |
|---|---|---|
| ACETYLCYSTEINE 10% VIAL (NOT FOR INJECTION) this page | $0.63561 to $2.55393 per ML filed | $0.9436 per ML filed |
| ACETYLCYSTEINE 20% VIAL (NOT FOR INJECTION) | $0.73709 to $2.24549 per ML filed | $0.9436 per ML filed |
Part D is one average per brand and generic name, over every strength and form.
CMS NADAC · nadac-national-average-drug-acquisition-cost-20261014.csv · eff. 2026-03-18, 2026-09-23 · as of 2026-10-14 · retrieved 2026-10-17
Medicare Part D · DSD_PTD_RY26_P04_V10_DY24_BGM.csv · eff. 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · as of 2026-06-25 · retrieved 2026-10-18
What Medicare paid
Medicare Part D paid $0.94 for 1 mL, at an average of $0.9436 per ML in 2024 (2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31) for “Acetylcysteine*” and “Acetylcysteine”, every strength and form sold under that name together (Medicare Part D Spending by Drug, file of 2026-06-25).
That average covers 20,730 Part D claims (fills, including refills) for 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31, across every maker, strength and form under the name.
Medicare's price is not your price.
What Part D spending measures · Which Medicare figure OpenBill compares · How the spread is worked out
What to ask at the counter
None of these figures is your price: what you pay depends on your pharmacy, your insurance, coupons and discounts.
- What is your cash price for 1 mL? Is it lower than what I would pay through my insurance?
- Which NDC (the 11-digit number on the package) is this? Pharmacies pay $0.63561 to $2.55393 per ML for this product, depending on the NDC.
- How much is in the package I am getting? This page uses 1 mL; your package may hold a different amount.
- If you have Medicare Part D: what is my plan’s copay or coinsurance for it? The Part D average on this page is not what you pay.
- These are questions about price, not medical advice. Do not change or stop a medicine without talking to your prescriber or pharmacist.
Questions
- Why is the comparison with Medicare for ACETYLCYSTEINE 10% VIAL (NOT FOR INJECTION) labelled estimated?
- Beyond what the card shows, the records give these reasons: The Part D figure covers 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31; the NADAC price is from the file of 2026-10-14. Part D spending basis, as the Part D record states it: Part D 2024 average spend per dosage unit for Acetylcysteine* / Acetylcysteine: all makers, strengths, forms and routes combined, claim-weighted; gross cost incl. dispensing fees and patient pay, before rebates. Unit taken as NADAC's ML. Joined on generic name. *: CMS says this average reflects multiple routes of administration, which may have different unit prices. All 18 NADAC NDCs the name join matched to it have an FDA route including RESPIRATORY (INHALATION). 2 of the 18 NDCs that point at this name are not listed in the FDA NDC Directory as packages of their own; their route was taken from FDA's record for the same product (labeler and product code).
- Why does this page start at 1 mL?
- The FDA package descriptions of this product’s NDCs give different amounts (30 mL, 90 mL, 100 mL). So the card starts at 1 ML; change it to match your prescription.