Stromectol is a brand name for ivermectin tablets. The 24 mg scored tablet Get It Prescribed provides is a compounded preparation, not the branded product and not an approved generic of it.
Yes — in the sense that matters most to patients: Stromectol® is the brand name under which ivermectin tablets were approved by the FDA in the United States, and ivermectin is the name of the drug substance itself. They are not two different medicines. The FDA-approved label for Stromectol describes 3 mg ivermectin tablets.
One clarification up front, because it is easy to read past: the compounded 24 mg scored ivermectin tablet that Get It Prescribed provides is *not* the FDA-approved Stromectol product and is *not* an approved generic of it. Anything this page says about the FDA's generic pathway is a general statement about how that pathway works — it is not a description of what we dispense. See the comparison below.
## Brand name versus drug name
Every prescription medication has at least two names. The established (generic) name identifies the active drug substance — here, ivermectin. The brand name is the trademarked name a company markets an approved product under — here, Stromectol, the name on the FDA-approved tablet label held by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC.
Because the brand name is what appears in advertising, package inserts, and older reference material, patients often encounter it first and assume it refers to something distinct or stronger. It does not. Prescribers, pharmacists, and the FDA treat the drug substance as the defining fact; the brand name is a label on the box.
## What the FDA requires of an approved generic
Under FDA rules, an approved generic drug must match its reference brand product on the criteria that determine how the medicine behaves in the body: the same active ingredient, the same strength, the same dosage form, the same route of administration, and the same conditions of use on the label. It must also be shown to be bioequivalent to the brand, and products meeting that standard are listed as therapeutically equivalent in the FDA's Orange Book.
That is the general rule for approved generics. It does not describe a compounded preparation, which travels a different regulatory route entirely.
## Important regulatory distinction
The 24 mg scored ivermectin tablet we prescribe is a compounded preparation, filled by a PCAB-accredited compounding pharmacy pursuant to a valid prescription written for an individual patient. Compounded preparations are not FDA-approved drug products, and the FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness, or manufacturing quality. Stromectol, by contrast, is an FDA-approved manufactured drug product. Same active ingredient — but not the same product, and not interchangeable.
## Stromectol vs. compounded ivermectin
| | Stromectol | Ivermectin through Get It Prescribed | |---|---|---| | Active ingredient | Ivermectin | Ivermectin | | Strength | 3 mg | 24 mg | | Dosage form | Oral tablet | Oral scored tablet (E4M) | | Regulatory status | FDA-approved manufactured drug product | Compounded preparation — not FDA-approved | | Source | Distributed by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC | Filled by a PCAB-accredited compounding pharmacy | | Prescription required | Yes | Yes — compounded for an individual patient | | Available from Get It Prescribed | No | Yes |
*Note: compounded ivermectin is not a generic of, substitute for, or therapeutic equivalent to Stromectol. Compounded preparations are made for an individual patient under a valid prescription and are not reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or manufacturing quality.*
## What the approved label covers
The FDA-approved prescribing information for ivermectin tablets lists two indications:
1. Intestinal (non-disseminated) strongyloidiasis caused by *Strongyloides stercoralis*. 2. Onchocerciasis — river blindness — caused by *Onchocerca volvulus*.
Onchocerciasis is rare in the United States and is principally a concern in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, as the World Health Organization describes. Only a human prescription product, dispensed by a licensed pharmacy against a valid prescription, is appropriate for people; preparations manufactured for other purposes are not.
## Side effects, briefly
Because the active ingredient is the same, the expected side-effect profile is driven by ivermectin itself. The prescribing information describes reactions that are generally mild and transient, and in onchocerciasis treatment some reactions relate to the body's response to dying parasites rather than to the drug. For the full picture, read [what are the side effects of ivermectin](/learn/safety-efficacy/ivermectin-side-effects), and report anything unexpected to your prescriber rather than adjusting anything yourself.
A related brand-name question comes up in the other direction: [is Vermox the same as ivermectin](/learn/medications/is-vermox-the-same-as-ivermectin)? Vermox is a brand of mebendazole, a different medicine entirely.
## Dosing: determined by your provider
We do not publish dosing figures or course lengths. The prescribing provider determines the regimen, strength, and quantity for each patient, and patients should follow the directions on their own prescription label.
## What you receive through Get It Prescribed
If an independent licensed provider reviews your request and determines ivermectin is appropriate, what is dispensed is the compounded 24 mg scored tablet described above.
| Item | Cost | |---|---| | Provider consultation | $50, one time (covers ivermectin and mebendazole) | | Ivermectin 24 mg tablet | $3.00 each |
Quantity is set by the provider, so your total is the $50 fee plus $3.00 per tablet dispensed. Full details are on our [pricing page](/pricing), and the review process is described on the [ivermectin](/medications/ivermectin) page. A prescription is never guaranteed. Service is available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. See [state availability](/availability).
## Related questions
### Is generic ivermectin weaker than Stromectol? No. An FDA-approved generic must contain the same active ingredient at the same strength as the brand it references and be shown to be bioequivalent. Note that what Get It Prescribed provides is a compounded preparation rather than an approved generic.
### Why does my prescription say ivermectin instead of Stromectol? Prescriptions are commonly written and filled using the established drug name rather than a brand name. Seeing "ivermectin" on the label does not mean you received a different active ingredient.
### What is Stromectol approved to treat? The FDA-approved label for ivermectin tablets covers intestinal (non-disseminated) strongyloidiasis caused by *Strongyloides stercoralis* and onchocerciasis caused by *Onchocerca volvulus*.
### Does Get It Prescribed dispense Stromectol? No. We provide a compounded 24 mg scored ivermectin tablet — the same active ingredient, but a different strength and regulatory category, and not the FDA-approved Stromectol brand.
### Can I buy Stromectol or ivermectin without a prescription? No. Oral ivermectin is prescription-only in the United States. A licensed provider must evaluate you before it can be prescribed and dispensed.
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Stromectol® is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC. Get It Prescribed is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC.
## Sources - [DailyMed: STROMECTOL (ivermectin) tablet label](https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=681888c9-af79-4b7d-ae80-c3f4f6f1effd) — FDA-approved prescribing information, including strength and labeled indications. - [FDA: Generic Drug Facts](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/generic-drugs/generic-drug-facts) — what the FDA requires of a generic medicine. - [FDA Orange Book: Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ob/index.cfm) — searchable record of approved products and equivalence ratings. - [WHO: Onchocerciasis fact sheet](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/onchocerciasis) — background on one of the labeled indications.