Budesonide
Brand names: Budesonide Dr, Budesonide Ec, Eohilia, Pulmicort, Tarpeyo, Uceris, Budesonide, Budesonide Er, Pulmicort Flexhaler
At a glance
- Medicare prescriptions, 2024
- 306,865
- Medicare drug cost
- $74.9M
- Average cost per prescription
- $244
- Clinicians who prescribed it
- 12,605
Where it is prescribed
List the prescribers in any state, county, city or ZIP code →
What it is used for
Budesonide inhalation suspension is an inhaled corticosteroid indicated for: • Maintenance treatment of asthma and as prophylactic therapy in children 12 months to 8 years of age Limitations of Use: Not indicated for the relief of acute bronchospasm 1.1 Maintenance Treatment of Asthma Budesonide inhalation suspension
From the FDA-approved prescribing information (label dated June 2026). Full labels on DailyMed (opens in a new tab)
Boxed warning
For inhalation only. Do not swallow. Only use budesonide inhalation suspension with a jet nebulizer machine that is connected to an air compressor. Do not use with an ultrasonic nebulizer.
The FDA’s strongest warning on a label. It doesn’t mean the drug is unsafe for most people; talk to your doctor or pharmacist before stopping or changing any medicine.
Who prescribes it
- Gastroenterology 30.0%
- Internal Medicine 18.8%
- Nurse Practitioners 14.8%
- Family Medicine 14.8%
- Physician Assistants 6.5%
- Pulmonology 3.6%
- Geriatric Medicine 2.7%
- ENT (Otolaryngology) 1.6%
- Allergy & Immunology 1.1%
- Hospitalist 1.0%
- General Practice 0.8%
- Podiatrists 0.6%
All prescribers, by place, name or specialty →
Share of Medicare prescriptions written by each specialty. Select one to list its prescribers.
Trend, 2019–2024
Medicare prescriptions fell 8% from 2019 to 2024.
Biggest change by state since 2019
- South Carolina +9%
- Oklahoma +6%
- Alabama +5%
- Kansas +4%
- Louisiana +3%
- New Jersey (smallest change) −25%
- Connecticut (smallest change) −25%
From CMS’s yearly state and national Part D summaries, which count every prescriber, including those CMS leaves out of its per-clinician data (fewer than 11 prescriptions). That is why these totals are higher than the count at the top of this page. Prescriptions include refills.
What it looks like
Pills from 1 maker on file. The same medicine can look different depending on who made it, so check the imprint (the letters and numbers on the pill) with your pharmacist if a refill looks different.
Actavis Pharma, Inc.
| Strength | Looks like | Imprint |
|---|---|---|
| 9 mg | white round tablet, 9 mm | WPI 2510 |
Source: DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), from each maker’s FDA drug listing. A few makers are shown, not every one. Never take a pill you can’t identify; ask a pharmacist.
Industry payments about this drug
Drug makers reported $2.3M in payments to clinicians that named this drug in 2025 (meals, speaking, consulting and similar).
- Calliditas Therapeutics US Inc. $1.8M
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. $446,399
- AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP $1,508
Source: CMS Open Payments, general payments (not research), program year 2025. A payment is not evidence of wrongdoing. Payments by doctor
Recalls and shortages
Not on the FDA drug shortage list.
3 recalls since 2020
- May 2026 · Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc · Class II
Presence of Foreign Substance:This recall has been initiated in response to a product quality complaint reported for black/brown specs and particles within the ampoule solution - Jun 2025 · Cipla USA, Inc. · Class II
Lack of Assurance of Sterility: A market complaint was received for leakage and empty ampoule. - Sep 2022 · Cipla · Class II
Lack of Assurance of Sterility
Recalls usually affect specific lots from one maker, not every version of a drug. Class I is the most serious; most drug recalls are Class II. FDA recalls (opens in a new tab)
Sources: CMS Medicare Part D Prescribers by Provider and Drug (2024; prescriptions include refills, and CMS hides counts under 11 per prescriber); U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA (drug labels, NDC directory, enforcement reports, drug shortages); CMS Open Payments 2025; ClinicalTrials.gov. General information only, not medical advice; not yet reviewed by our medical reviewer.