Ivermectin liquid is not one product, and it is not a human product. In the United States only three ivermectin dosage forms are approved for people: an oral tablet, a 1% topical cream and a 0.5% topical lotion. That is what the FDA Orange Book shows across all 17 ivermectin product rows in its downloadable product file dated 11 September 2026, whose online search page states it is current through September 2026 — the three values in the dosage form/route field are TABLET;ORAL, CREAM;TOPICAL and LOTION;TOPICAL, and nothing else. If you are looking specifically at pills, the approved tablet products are the only oral ivermectin with a human label in this country.

Different ivermectin forms laid out on an oak counter, from a human tablet carton to an equine paste syringe and a livestock pour-on bottle

Everything else — paste, gel-style syringes, drench, pour-on, injection, medicated feed, ear drops — is approved for animals only, and is not approved for people. A separate group of capsules, powders and dropper bottles sold online is not approved for anyone. Because prescription status, species and legal availability differ form by form, it helps to know where each form is legitimately sold before you try to identify what you are holding. All federal sources below were last checked on 28 September 2026, and each fact carries the date of the source it came from.

Key takeaways

  • Three human ivermectin dosage forms are FDA-approved: oral tablet, 1% cream and 0.5% lotion (FDA Orange Book product file, 11 September 2026).
  • Only the 0.5% lotion for head lice carries over-the-counter marketing status. Every tablet row and every cream row in the Orange Book is prescription or discontinued.
  • There is no FDA-approved human ivermectin injection, capsule, powder, oral liquid or paste. The word "liquid" in FDA's ivermectin rules (21 CFR 520.1195) refers to animal products.
  • Animal ivermectin products are labeled for animal use only and are not approved for people. FDA's April 2020 letter to stakeholders states: "People should never take animal drugs, as the FDA has only evaluated their safety and effectiveness in the particular animal species for which they are labeled."

The forms ivermectin is sold in, and the three approved for people here

Pharmacist at an independent drugstore counter checking a prescription record beside shelves of plain cartons

You will see the claim that ivermectin comes in nine forms. We cannot verify a worldwide count from a primary source, and the number depends entirely on how you group dosage forms, so we are not going to publish one. What can be verified is the set of dosage forms that carry US-approved labeling, because FDA codifies them one section at a time in Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

For ivermectin as the single active ingredient in animals, those sections are: 21 CFR 520.1192 Ivermectin paste; 520.1193 Ivermectin tablets and chewables; 520.1194 Ivermectin meal; 520.1195 Ivermectin liquid; 520.1197 Ivermectin sustained-release bolus; 522.1192 (injection); 524.1193 (topical solution, the pour-on); 524.1195 (otic suspension); and 558.300 (a Type A medicated article for swine feed). Combination products — ivermectin with pyrantel, praziquantel, clorsulon, fenbendazole or imidacloprid — reuse those same dosage forms.

On the animal side, FDA's Animal Drugs @ FDA (Green Book) search returned 53 applications containing ivermectin when queried on 28 September 2026: 46 approved (21 NADAs and 25 ANADAs) and 7 carrying the status "Voluntary Withdrawn." Enumerating the species fields across those records gives nine labeled species — cattle, swine, sheep, horses, reindeer, American bison, ranch-raised foxes, dogs and cats. A query for ivermectin plus goats returned zero applications, so no approved ivermectin product lists goats.

Table: form, species approved, route, prescription status, application number

Horse owner holding an unbranded oral paste syringe in a barn aisle, illustrating the equine-only ivermectin paste form
Form Species on the approved label Route Prescription status Application / regulation
Oral tablet (3 mg, 6 mg) Humans Oral Prescription ("Rx only") NDA 050742 (Stromectol) plus 7 ANDAs; 8 applications, 10 product rows
Cream 1% Humans Topical, facial Prescription NDA 206255 (Soolantra) plus ANDAs 210019, 210225, 215210
Lotion 0.5% Humans Topical, scalp Over-the-counter since 27 October 2020 NDA 202736 (Sklice); ANDA 210720 (Taro); ANDA 212485 discontinued
Paste 1.87% / 0.153% Horses (1.87%); cattle (0.153%) Oral 21 CFR 520.1192 imposes no veterinary prescription restriction; verified paste labels carry FDA's OTC animal drug category NADA 134-314; ANADA 200-390; NADA 137-006 (cattle paste)
Tablets and chewables (68, 136, 272 mcg; 55, 165 mcg) Dogs; cats Oral Prescription — federal veterinarian legend, 21 CFR 520.1193(c) NADA 138-412; NADA 140-886; NADA 141-078
Meal 0.6% Horses Oral, on feed Not stated here — no current DailyMed label located NADA 141-241; 21 CFR 520.1194
Liquid 10 mg/mL Horses Oral, stomach tube or drench Prescription — 21 CFR 520.1195(e)(1)(iii) ANADA 200-341 (SparMectin-E)
Micellar liquid 0.8 mg/mL (drench) Sheep Oral OTC animal drug label category on the verified generic SPL NADA 131-392; ANADA 200-327
Sustained-release bolus 1.72 g Ruminating calves 275–660 lb Oral Not stated here — no current DailyMed label located NADA 140-988; 21 CFR 520.1197
Injection 1% and 0.27% Cattle, swine, reindeer, American bison, ranch-raised foxes Subcutaneous only OTC animal drug label category (Ivomec SPL) NADA 128-409; 21 CFR 522.1192
Topical solution 5 mg/mL (pour-on) Cattle Topical, along the topline OTC animal drug label category (Ivomec Pour-On SPL) NADA 140-841; 21 CFR 524.1193
Otic suspension 0.01% Cats and kittens 4 weeks and older Into each ear canal Prescription (Green Book record, NADA 141-174) NADA 141-174; 21 CFR 524.1195
Type A medicated article 2.72 g/lb Swine In feed Not stated here — no current DailyMed label located NADA 140-974; 21 CFR 558.300

Oral tablets: the human product and the animal oral products that are not it

Cattle in a squeeze chute at a ranch working pen where a pour-on ivermectin product would be applied along the topline

Stromectol, Merck's brand tablet, is approved under NDA 050742. Drugs@FDA records the original approval on 22 November 1996 as a Type 1 New Molecular Entity; the 3 mg tablet marketed today carries an Orange Book approval date of 8 October 1998, and the 6 mg brand tablet is discontinued, with an Orange Book note recording a Federal Register determination that it was not discontinued or withdrawn for safety or effectiveness reasons.

The label's approved indications, in the September 2024 revision on DailyMed, are limited to two parasitic infections: strongyloidiasis of the intestinal tract and onchocerciasis. The recommended dose differs between them — a single oral dose of approximately 200 mcg/kg for strongyloidiasis and approximately 150 mcg/kg for onchocerciasis — and the two dosing tables are not interchangeable: the strongyloidiasis table runs from 1 tablet at 15–24 kg to 5 tablets at 66–79 kg, while the onchocerciasis table runs from 1 tablet at 15–25 kg to 4 tablets at 65–84 kg. The label directs that tablets be taken on an empty stomach with water, notes a plasma half-life in humans of approximately 18 hours, states that ivermectin is primarily metabolized by CYP3A4, and reports a single drug interaction: rarely reported increased INR with warfarin. Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients weighing less than 15 kg have not been established, and the label states ivermectin should not be used during pregnancy since safety in pregnancy has not been established. No approved US human ivermectin product carries an indication for scabies, and FDA states it has not authorized or approved ivermectin for use in preventing or treating COVID-19 in humans or animals (FDA consumer update, content current as of 5 April 2024).

The generics, and the only two strengths that exist

Seven ANDAs hold ivermectin tablet approvals, the earliest being ANDA 204154 (Edenbridge, 24 October 2014) and the most recent in the 11 September 2026 Orange Book file being ANDA 218509 (Ajanta, 7 April 2026). Across all ten tablet rows, the only strengths listed are 3 mg and 6 mg; the sole 6 mg product currently listed is ANDA 215922 (Rubicon Research, approved 22 January 2025), marketed in the US under the Advagen Pharma label. Every tablet row is prescription except the one discontinued row.

The animal oral tablets people confuse with them

Canine and feline ivermectin chewables are labeled for animal use only and are not approved for people. Under 21 CFR 520.1193 they contain 68, 136 or 272 mcg (dogs) or 55 or 165 mcg (cats) — micrograms, not milligrams — and the regulation states that federal law restricts them to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. The canine heartworm-prevention dose is a minimum of 6.0 mcg/kg monthly in dogs 6 weeks and older, roughly one thirty-third of the 200 mcg/kg dose used in livestock labels, which is why an animal syringe is not a scaled version of anything human. Heartgard Plus (NADA 140-971) carries the caution sentence verbatim on its DailyMed label.

Topical cream and lotion: the two approved human topicals

Unlabeled capsule bottle and loose powder from a mail parcel on a kitchen table, illustrating unapproved ivermectin products sold online

Soolantra cream 1% is approved under NDA 206255, held by Galderma, approved 19 December 2014 as a Type 3 New Dosage Form. Its labeled indication is the treatment of inflammatory lesions of rosacea — the papules and pustules, not rosacea generally. Each gram contains 10 mg of ivermectin; it is applied once daily, a pea-size amount for each affected area of the face, and the label states it is not for oral, ophthalmic or intravaginal use. Notably, the label says the mechanism of action in treating rosacea lesions is unknown, so the common explanation about skin mites is not something the approved labeling supports. Three generic 1% creams are listed (Teva, Padagis Israel, Zydus), all prescription; Mayne markets an authorized generic under Galderma's own NDA. If the cream is what you were looking for, the approved cream labeling is worth reading in full.

Sklice lotion 0.5% was approved under NDA 202736 on 7 February 2012 as a prescription pediculicide for head lice in patients 6 months and older. FDA's supplement approval letter dated 27 October 2020 provides for "a complete switch of Sklice® (ivermectin) lotion, 0.5% from prescription to over-the-counter status." As an OTC product its Drug Facts panel states simply: active ingredient ivermectin 0.5%, purpose lice treatment, use treats head lice. It is applied to dry hair and scalp, left on for 10 minutes, rinsed with water, used once, with no nit combing required, and is not for children under 6 months. It is supplied as a single 117 g (4 oz) tube.

One point causes real confusion: store-brand OTC lotions are printed with "PRESCRIPTION STRENGTH" — the CVS carton does, per its DailyMed label updated 16 September 2026 — even though the product is legally over-the-counter. Every generic and private-label OTC ivermectin lotion whose label we checked traces to one application, Taro's ANDA 210720. And this form did not reach OTC status through an ingredient monograph: the pediculicide monograph at 21 CFR 358.610 permits only pyrethrum extract with piperonyl butoxide, and ivermectin is not on it.

Paste and gel: equine products and why the syringe exists

Equine ivermectin paste is labeled for animal use only and is not approved for people. Under 21 CFR 520.1192 the paste is approved at two strengths, 1.87 percent and 0.153 percent, and the horse dose is 200 micrograms per kilogram, stated in the regulation as 91 micrograms per pound. The syringe exists because that is how a single weight-banded oral dose is delivered to a large animal: the Zimecterin label (NADA 134-314) states that one 6.08 g syringe contains sufficient paste to treat one 1,250 lb horse at 91 mcg/lb, and that each weight marking on the plunger delivers enough paste for 250 lb of body weight. Equimax (NADA 141-215) is built to a different capacity — its label says contents will treat up to 1,320 lb — and Zimecterin Gold is a different formulation again, at 1.55% ivermectin with 7.75% praziquantel, not 1.87%.

Two further points. The horse paste limitation reads, in full: "For oral use only. Do not use in horses intended for human consumption." That means oral administration to the horse; it is not a statement about people. And the 0.153 percent paste is a cattle product, Ivomec Cattle Paste 0.153% (NADA 137-006), dosed at 23 milligrams per 250 pounds with a 24-day pre-slaughter withdrawal — a residue-depletion interval set by species and product, not a half-life.

On the word "gel": FDA's section heading is "Ivermectin paste," and the Green Book dose form for the cattle product is "Paste." Gel is not an FDA dosage-form term in these approvals, so if a syringe is marketed as a gel, check its own label for the application number and dose form rather than assuming it matches a paste. Non-prescription anthelmintic animal drug labels must also carry the statement required by 21 CFR 500.25(b): "Consult your veterinarian for assistance in the diagnosis, treatment, and control of parasitism."

Drench and premix: food-animal delivery systems

These are animal-only products, not approved for people. 21 CFR 520.1195, titled "Ivermectin liquid," approves two concentrations: 10 mg/mL and a 0.8 mg/mL micellar solution. The sheep drench is the micellar one, dosed at 200 mcg/kg (3 mL per 26 pounds) as a single oral drench, with an 11-day pre-slaughter withdrawal. Its limitations paragraph carries a species warning in the regulatory text itself: "For use in sheep only. Do not use in other animal species as severe adverse reactions, including fatalities in dogs, may result."

Ivermectin liquid for horses — and why there is no ivermectin liquid for dogs

The 10 mg/mL liquid is the equine one, and it is the sharpest prescription contrast in the whole ivermectin family: horse paste carries no federal prescription restriction, while horse liquid is restricted by federal law to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian under 520.1195(e)(1)(iii). SparMectin-E (ANADA 200-341, Sparhawk) is the currently labeled example, formulated for administration by stomach tube or oral drench. Eqvalan Liquid for Horses (NADA 140-439) was voluntarily withdrawn. Separately, the product called Ivermectin Liquid for Horses from Alberta Veterinary Laboratories, which received a New World screwworm Emergency Use Authorization on 15 July 2026, is an unapproved animal drug: its DailyMed label carries FDA's disclaimer that the drug has not been found by FDA to be safe and effective, and FDA's 15 July 2026 announcement states it is available only by prescription from a licensed veterinarian and is not for use in species other than horses. As for dogs, there is no approved ivermectin liquid for dogs — canine products are the tablets and chewables of 520.1193, and the sheep drench label warns explicitly about fatalities in dogs.

Premix and bolus

The swine feed form is a Type A medicated article containing 2.72 grams of ivermectin per pound; in the 21 CFR 558.300 conditions of use, the 1.8 g/ton row is fed as the only feed for 7 consecutive days to provide 0.1 mg/kg of body weight per day, with a 5-day pre-slaughter withdrawal. Extralabel use of an approved drug in or on animal feed is not permitted at all under 21 CFR 530.11(b) — the only one of the four limitations in that section with no veterinary-supervision exception. The sustained-release bolus (21 CFR 520.1197) contains 1.72 grams, is limited to ruminating calves of 275 to 660 pounds, and carries a 180-day pre-slaughter withdrawal.

Pour-on: a topical for cattle, and only cattle

Pour-on is an animal-only topical and is not approved for people. Under 21 CFR 524.1193 the solution contains 5 milligrams per milliliter and is applied at 1 mL per 22 pounds (0.5 mg/kg), with a 48-day pre-slaughter withdrawal — the longest of the common cattle intervals, against 35 days for the plain injection and 24 days for the cattle paste. The Ivomec Pour-On label (NADA 140-841) directs application along the topline in a narrow strip from the withers to the tailhead, states that cattle must not be treated within 48 days of slaughter, and adds that because a withdrawal time in milk has not been established, it must not be used in female dairy cattle of breeding age. Its indication is the only Ivomec cattle form that includes horn flies (Haematobia irritans) and the biting louse Damalinia bovis. The label also notes that ivermectin is excreted in the dung of treated animals and can inhibit the reproduction and growth of pest and beneficial insects that use dung for food and reproduction. Our fuller write-up covers the pour-on formulation for cattle and its residue rules.

Injectable: approved for livestock, and not approved for people in any form

There is no FDA-approved human ivermectin injection. Across all 17 ivermectin rows in the Orange Book product file dated 11 September 2026, the only dosage forms are oral tablet, topical cream and topical lotion — so an "ivermectin shot" for a person is not an approved product, and any ivermectin injection for humans offered for sale is outside the approval system entirely.

The injectable that does exist is a livestock drug, labeled for animal use only. Ivomec Injection (NADA 128-409) is a 1% sterile solution, 10 mg/mL, whose label states it was developed specifically for cattle, swine, reindeer and American bison only, adding: "This product should not be used in other animal species as severe adverse reactions, including fatalities in dogs, may result." That sentence is mandated word-for-word by 21 CFR 522.1192(d)(2). Cattle are dosed at 200 mcg/kg subcutaneously (1 mL per 110 lb, maximum 10 mL per injection site) with a 35-day withdrawal; swine at 300 mcg/kg with an 18-day withdrawal; reindeer and American bison carry 56-day withdrawals; ranch-raised foxes are dosed at 200 µg/kg, repeated in 3 weeks, using the 0.27% strength. The label states the product is not for intravenous or intramuscular use. Ivomec Plus adds clorsulon at 100 mg/mL and carries a 21-day withdrawal, and 21 CFR 522.1193 codifies that combination separately.

Two recent federal actions changed availability of the injectable for animals, not for people. FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization for Ivomec injectable solution against New World screwworm in cattle on 5 February 2026, stating on its CVM Update page that "Ivomec is available over the counter without a prescription," and a second EUA, number 006729, for Bimectin (ivermectin) injection on 27 August 2026. FDA's screwworm page states that as of 3 September 2026 it had issued 15 Emergency Use Authorizations and three conditional approvals for animal drugs against New World screwworm. These authorizations are for use in animals by producers under the authorized labeling.

Capsules, powders and liquids sold online: what they usually are

No ivermectin capsule is approved in the United States, for people or for animals, and no human ivermectin powder or oral solution is approved. The only powder-like approved forms are animal ones: the 0.6 percent equine meal of 21 CFR 520.1194, dosed at 136 mcg per pound (300 mcg/kg), and the swine Type A medicated article of 558.300. Both are animal-labeled and not approved for people.

So what are online "ivermectin capsules," "powdered ivermectin" and dropper-bottle liquids? From primary records, three patterns are visible. First, products with no application at all: FDA's warning letter to www.ivermectin4covid.com, dated 16 March 2023, states that the website "introduces into interstate commerce misbranded and unapproved new drugs." Under 21 U.S.C. 355(a), no person may introduce a new drug into interstate commerce without an effective approval. Second, listings that claim a monograph they do not qualify for: DailyMed carries ivermectin 0.5% topical listings from overseas firms filed as OTC monograph drugs, including one citing monograph M031 with a marketing date of 10 December 2025, even though ivermectin is not an active ingredient in the pediculicide monograph at 21 CFR 358.610. Third, compounded preparations, which are not an OTC route: federal law at 21 U.S.C. 353a(a) conditions the compounding exemptions on receipt of a valid prescription order for an identified individual patient.

We cannot tell you what is inside an unapproved capsule, because nobody has verified it — that is the point of approval. FDA's consumer page states that animal ivermectin products are different formulations from those approved for humans, that their safety in humans is not known, and that people should never use medications intended for animals on themselves or other people.

Where to go next, by what you were actually looking for

  • A human pill. Prescription only, 3 mg or 6 mg, two approved indications. Start with the tablet detail page linked at the top of this article.
  • Something for rosacea lesions. The 1% cream, prescription only, NDA 206255 plus three generics.
  • Head lice. The 0.5% lotion is the one human ivermectin with OTC marketing status, sold as Sklice and as store brands all traceable to ANDA 210720.
  • A horse, cow, sheep, pig, dog or cat. Match the species on the label and the route exactly. Extralabel use is a framework for veterinarians: 21 CFR 530.1 applies only to use by or on the lawful order of a licensed veterinarian within a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship, and 530.11(a) does not permit extralabel use by a lay person except under veterinary supervision.
  • Access rules where you live. Seven states have enacted ivermectin access laws, each verified against that state's own legislative record: Arkansas, Idaho (S 1211, in force 14 April 2025), Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas (HB 25, in force 4 December 2025). North Dakota is often counted alongside them, but its law is a different kind: N.D.C.C. § 43-15-42.4, in force 15 November 2021, shields the prescriber or pharmacist from discipline or liability and creates no new route for a patient, so a prescription is still required there. These laws address human products and pharmacy dispensing; they do not change any animal label.

Frequently asked questions

What does "1% ivermectin" or "1 ivermectin" mean?

It is a concentration, not a dose. In animal products, 1% means 10 mg of ivermectin per mL — that is the Ivomec injection strength. The human cream is also 1%, meaning 10 mg per gram of cream. A 1.87% paste is a horse product; a 0.153% paste is a cattle product; the sheep drench is 0.08% (0.8 mg/mL). Same molecule, different concentrations, different species, different routes.

Is there an ivermectin injection for humans?

No. No injectable ivermectin is approved for human use in the United States; the Orange Book lists only tablet, cream and lotion forms as of the 11 September 2026 data file. The injectable products that exist are labeled for cattle, swine, reindeer, American bison and ranch-raised foxes, and are not approved for people.

Are ivermectin capsules a real approved form?

Not in the US. No capsule appears among the 17 Orange Book ivermectin rows, and none appears in the FDA animal dosage-form sections. A product sold as an ivermectin capsule has no US approval behind it.

Can horse paste be used as a substitute for a tablet?

Equine paste is labeled for oral use in horses only and is not approved for people. Beyond the legal status, the formulations are not comparable: the human tablet contains 3 mg of ivermectin with five inactive ingredients, while a single 6.08 g equine syringe is dosed for up to 1,250 lb of body weight. FDA's position, on its consumer page current as of 5 April 2024, is that if a health care provider writes an ivermectin prescription, it should be filled through a legitimate source such as a pharmacy.

Does any approved US ivermectin product treat scabies?

No approved US human ivermectin product carries an approved indication for scabies. The tablet's indications are intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis; the cream's is inflammatory lesions of rosacea; the lotion's is head lice. FDA's consumer page notes that, with few exceptions, health care professionals may prescribe an approved human drug for an unapproved use when they judge it medically appropriate for an individual patient — that is a clinician's decision, not a labeled use.

What do these forms cost?

We cannot verify retail prices from a primary source, and we do not publish estimates. One primary benchmark does exist: CMS's National Average Drug Acquisition Cost, a pharmacy acquisition survey rather than a shelf price. Effective 23 September 2026, CMS listed $1.99423 per 3 mg ivermectin tablet, $9.80491 per 6 mg tablet, $2.74609 per gram for generic 1% cream, and $1.23937 per gram for the 0.5% lotion, which is the only ivermectin record CMS flags as OTC.

Why is the drug in a syringe or pour-on bottle cheaper and easier to buy than the pill?

Because it is regulated as an animal drug. Animal drugs run on a separate statutory track: 21 U.S.C. 353(f)(1) sets when an animal drug requires a veterinarian's order, and many ivermectin animal products do not meet that test, while every human tablet and cream row in the Orange Book is prescription. Availability is not a statement about human safety, and these products remain labeled for animal use only.

Sources