Valacyclovir Hcl
Brand names: Valacyclovir, Valtrex
At a glance
- Medicare prescriptions, 2024
- 2,118,781
- Medicare drug cost
- $72.0M
- Average cost per prescription
- $34.00
- Clinicians who prescribed it
- 94,467
Where it is prescribed
List the prescribers in any state, county, city or ZIP code →
What it is used for
Valacyclovir tablets are a deoxynucleoside analogue DNA polymerase inhibitor indicated for: Adult Patients Cold Sores (Herpes Labialis) Genital Herpes Treatment in immunocompetent patients (initial or recurrent episode) Suppression in immunocompetent or HIV-1-infected patients Reduction of transmission Herpes Zoster Pediatric Patients Cold Sores (Herpes Labialis) Chickenpox Limitations of Use The efficacy and safety of valacyclovir tablets have not been established in immunocompromised patients other than for the suppression of genital herpes in HIV-1-infected patients. 1.1 Adult Patients Cold Sores (Herpes Labialis)
From the FDA-approved prescribing information (label dated September 2026). Full labels on DailyMed (opens in a new tab)
Who prescribes it
- Family Medicine 27.4%
- Internal Medicine 22.8%
- Nurse Practitioners 13.6%
- Dermatology 7.8%
- Physician Assistants 7.8%
- Ophthalmology 6.0%
- OB-GYN (Obstetrics & Gynecology) 4.7%
- Hematology & Oncology 1.9%
- Infectious Disease 1.4%
- Optometrists 0.9%
- Geriatric Medicine 0.6%
- Medical Oncology 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 rose 39% from 2019 to 2024.
Biggest change by state since 2019
- Oregon +67%
- Washington +64%
- Utah +62%
- Kansas +61%
- Oklahoma +58%
- New York (smallest change) +25%
- Massachusetts (smallest change) +27%
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 3 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.
Ax Pharmaceutical Corp
| Strength | Looks like | Imprint |
|---|---|---|
| 1 g | white powder | |
Nucare Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
| Strength | Looks like | Imprint |
|---|---|---|
| 500 mg | blue oval tablet, 18 mm | Y131 |
Sportpharm LLC
| Strength | Looks like | Imprint |
|---|---|---|
| 500 mg | blue oval tablet, 18 mm | Y131 |
| 1000 mg | blue oval tablet, 23 mm, scored to split in 2 | Y132 |
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
- Apr 2024 · Viatris Inc · Class III
Failed Tablet/Capsule Specifications: There is a potential for the imprint, M 122, to be missing on some tablets.
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.