Esomeprazole Magnesium
Brand names: Esomeprazole Magnesium, Nexium
At a glance
- Medicare prescriptions, 2024
- 2,310,936
- Medicare drug cost
- $107.5M
- Average cost per prescription
- $46.51
- Clinicians who prescribed it
- 79,621
Where it is prescribed
List the prescribers in any state, county, city or ZIP code →
What it is used for
NEXIUM is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). NEXIUM delayed-release capsules and NEXIUM for delayed-release oral suspension are indicated for the: • Short-term treatment in the healing of erosive esophagitis (EE) in adults and pediatric patients 12 years to 17 years of age. • Maintenance of healing of EE in adults. • Short-term treatment of heartburn and other symptoms associated GERD in adults and pediatric patients 12 years to 17 years of age. • Risk reduction of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)-associated gastric ulcer in adults at risk for developing gastric ulcers due to age (60 years and older) and/or documented history of gastric ulcers. • Helicobacter pylori eradication in adult patients to reduce the risk of duodenal ulcer recurrence in combination with amoxicillin and clarithromycin. • Long-term treatment of pathological hypersecretory conditions, including Zollinger-Ellison syndrome in adults.
From the FDA-approved prescribing information (label dated December 2025). Full labels on DailyMed (opens in a new tab)
Who prescribes it
- Family Medicine 31.9%
- Internal Medicine 26.8%
- Nurse Practitioners 17.4%
- Gastroenterology 10.2%
- Physician Assistants 6.5%
- General Practice 1.5%
- Geriatric Medicine 1.2%
- Cardiology 0.5%
- Pulmonology 0.4%
- ENT (Otolaryngology) 0.4%
- Nephrology (Kidney) 0.3%
- Hospitalist 0.3%
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 21% from 2019 to 2024.
Biggest change by state since 2019
- Puerto Rico +180%
- Nevada +13%
- Utah +6%
- Arizona +6%
- North Dakota +6%
- California (smallest change) −47%
- New York (smallest change) −43%
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 4 makers 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.
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
| Strength | Looks like | Imprint |
|---|---|---|
| 20 mg | purple capsule, 14 mm | NEXIUM20MG |
| 40 mg | purple capsule, 14 mm | NEXIUM40MG |
Aurohealth LLC
| Strength | Looks like | Imprint |
|---|---|---|
| 20 mg | white capsule, 14 mm | I81 |
Meijer Distribution Inc
| Strength | Looks like | Imprint |
|---|---|---|
| 20 mg | blue capsule, 14 mm | L898 |
Pd-Rx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
| Strength | Looks like | Imprint |
|---|---|---|
| 40 mg | blue capsule, 18 mm | RDY 493 |
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 $14,523 in payments to clinicians that named this drug in 2025 (meals, speaking, consulting and similar).
- AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP $14,523
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.
5 recalls since 2020
- May 2025 · Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc · Class II
Failed Impurities/Degradation Specifications: Out-of-Specification test results obtained for any individual unknown degradation product during Related Compounds testing during long term stability. - Nov 2024 · Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc · Class III
Labeling: Not Elsewhere Classified - Wrong NDC number - Jun 2022 · Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc · Class III
Superpotent Drug: Out of specification for assay at the 12-month timepoint. - Dec 2020 · Cipla · Class II
Cross- contamination with other products: The excipient, Crospovidone, NF is contaminated with theophylline - Apr 2020 · Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Inc. · Class III
Discoloration: product contains brown pellets
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.