AZELAIC ACID 15% GEL
For 50 g
Pharmacies pay
$22.03 filed
50 × $0.44069 per GM
CMS NADAC · nadac-national-average-drug-acquisition-cost-20261014.csv · eff. 2026-09-23 · as of 2026-10-14 · retrieved 2026-10-17
Medicare Part D paid
$95.62 filed
50 × $1.91242 per GM, 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
4.3× estimated
Medicare paid 4.3× what pharmacies pay.
Part D averages every strength and form sold under “Azelaic Acid” 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. 2026-09-23 (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
$30.33 estimated
$22.03 + $3.30 (15%) + $5.00 fee per fill = $30.33
This is a model, not a price any pharmacy quoted. Shipping is not included. 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
AZELAIC ACID 15% GEL is how the CMS NADAC file names this product. The FDA NDC Directory lists it as azelaic acid, under the trade name “Azelaic Acid Gel”.
FDA gives its dosage form as gel and its route as topical.
FDA lists 5 labelers (the companies named on the label) for its NDCs, among them Actavis Pharma, Inc., Sandoz Inc. and Encube Ethicals, Inc.
FDA lists no Established Pharmacologic Class for it.
The NADAC file of 2026-10-14 prices it under 5 NDCs (National Drug Codes).
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 $22.03 for 50 g (50 × $0.44069 per GM, rounded to the cent), by the CMS NADAC file of 2026-10-14; that price took effect on 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; 5, calculated based on package size; 6, the CMS Covered Outpatient Drug Product File S/I/N drug category was not applied when grouping drugs for the calculation.
What NADAC measures · NADAC explanation codes
All 5 NDCs
- 00591-2131-55 · Actavis Pharma, Inc. · $0.44069 per GM · eff. 2026-09-23 filed
- 00781-7172-50 · Sandoz Inc. · $0.44069 per GM · eff. 2026-09-23 filed
- 21922-0038-14 · Encube Ethicals, Inc. · $0.44069 per GM · eff. 2026-09-23 filed
- 51672-1389-03 · Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. · $0.44069 per GM · eff. 2026-09-23 filed
- 68462-0626-52 · Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA · $0.44069 per GM · eff. 2026-09-23 filed
Other strengths, forms and brands
1 other product in the NADAC file shares the FDA nonproprietary name azelaic acid with AZELAIC ACID 15% GEL.
| Product | Pharmacies pay per unit | Medicare per unit |
|---|---|---|
| AZELAIC ACID 15% GEL this page | $0.44069 per GM filed | $1.91242 per GM filed |
| FINACEA 15% FOAM | $8.33372 per GM filed | $8.49034 per GM 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. 2026-09-23 · 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 $95.62 for 50 g, at an average of $1.91242 per GM in 2024 (2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31) for “Azelaic Acid”, every strength and form sold under that name together (Medicare Part D Spending by Drug, file of 2026-06-25).
That average covers 81,342 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 50 g? Is it lower than what I would pay through my insurance?
- How much is in the package I am getting? This page uses 50 g; 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 AZELAIC ACID 15% GEL 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 Azelaic Acid / Azelaic Acid: all makers, strengths, forms and routes combined, claim-weighted; gross cost incl. dispensing fees and patient pay, before rebates. Unit taken as NADAC's GM. Joined on generic name.
- Why does this page start at 50 g?
- NADAC prices this product per GM. The FDA NDC Directory’s package description gives 50 g in one package for all 5 NDCs of this product (“1 TUBE in 1 CARTON (0591-2131-55) / 50 g in 1 TUBE”), so the card starts at one package: 50 GM. Change it to match your prescription.