Methylprednisolone
Brand names: Methylprednisolone, Medrol
At a glance
- Medicare prescriptions, 2024
- 4,720,430
- Medicare drug cost
- $33.4M
- Average cost per prescription
- $7.08
- Clinicians who prescribed it
- 127,319
Where it is prescribed
List the prescribers in any state, county, city or ZIP code →
What it is used for
MEDROL Tablets are indicated in the following conditions: 1. Endocrine Disorders Primary or secondary adrenocortical insufficiency (hydrocortisone or cortisone is the first choice; synthetic analogs may be used in conjunction with mineralocorticoids where applicable; in infancy mineralocorticoid supplementation is of particular importance). Congenital adrenal hyperplasia Nonsuppurative thyroiditis Hypercalcemia associated with cancer 2. Rheumatic Disorders As adjunctive therapy for short-term administration (to tide the patient over an acute episode or exacerbation) in: Rheumatoid arthritis, including juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (selected cases may require low-dose maintenance therapy) Ankylosing spondylitis Acute and subacute bursitis Synovitis of osteoarthritis Acute nonspecific tenosynovitis Post-traumatic osteoarthritis Psoriatic arthritis Epicondylitis Acute gouty arthritis 3. Collagen Diseases During an exacerbation or as maintenance therapy in selected cases of: Systemic lupus erythematosus Systemic dermatomyositis (polymyositis) Acute rheumatic carditis 4. Dermatologic Diseases Bullous dermatitis herpetiformis Severe erythema multiforme (Stevens-Johnson syndrome) Severe seborrheic dermatitis Exfoliative dermatitis Mycosis fungoides Pemphigus Severe psoriasis 5. Allergic States Control of severe or incapacitating allergic conditions intractable to adequate trials of…
From the FDA-approved prescribing information (label dated November 2025). Full labels on DailyMed (opens in a new tab)
Who prescribes it
- Nurse Practitioners 22.9%
- Family Medicine 16.7%
- Physician Assistants 14.7%
- Internal Medicine 14.1%
- Orthopedic Surgery 4.9%
- Rheumatology 3.1%
- Podiatrists 2.9%
- Emergency Medicine 2.6%
- Pain Medicine 1.9%
- ENT (Otolaryngology) 1.9%
- Sports Medicine 1.6%
- General Practice 1.5%
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 rose 36% from 2019 to 2024.
Biggest change by state since 2019
- Rhode Island +73%
- South Carolina +62%
- Virginia +55%
- North Carolina +52%
- Idaho +51%
- Louisiana (smallest change) +14%
- Oklahoma (smallest change) +20%
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.
Pharmacia & Upjohn Company LLC
| Strength | Looks like | Imprint |
|---|---|---|
| 2 mg | pink oval tablet, 8 mm, scored to split in 4 | MEDROL 2 |
| 2 mg | white oval tablet, 8 mm, scored to split in 4 | MEDROL 2 |
| 4 mg | white oval tablet, 8 mm, scored to split in 4 | MEDROL 4 |
| 8 mg | white oval tablet, 9 mm, scored to split in 4 | MEDROL 8 |
| 16 mg | white oval tablet, 10 mm, scored to split in 4 | MEDROL 16 |
| 32 mg | white oval tablet, 12 mm, scored to split in 2 | MEDROL 32 |
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
No industry payments to clinicians named this drug in 2025.
Recalls and shortages
Not on the FDA drug shortage list.
1 recall since 2020
- Jan 2026 · Greenstone Llc · Class II
Labeling: Not Elsewhere Classified. Incorrect orientation of the blister foil applied to the blister cavities, which results in incorrect dosing information when following the directions on the foil.
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.