Short answer: The Avodart label dose is one 0.5 mg capsule once daily, swallowed whole and not chewed or opened, with or without food. With tamsulosin, the dose is the same Avodart 0.5 mg once daily plus tamsulosin 0.4 mg once daily. The Patient Information says a missed dose may be taken later that day, but not doubled the next day.
This is what the FDA label says. Follow your prescriber. Your prescriber may use a different dose or pace than the label's standard schedule.
What Avodart is approved for: Avodart is a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor approved to treat symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men with an enlarged prostate, alone or with tamsulosin: to improve symptoms and lower the risk of acute urinary retention and BPH-related surgery. It is not approved to prevent prostate cancer, and it is not approved for hair loss (section 1).
Source
AVODART (dutasteride) capsules, for oral use, prescribing information and Patient Information. Waylis Therapeutics. DailyMed, version published March 17, 2025. DailyMed setid 960797b3-09b1-4d6a-8ece-8b5d918e93e4
Avodart capsules are swallowed whole and not chewed or opened, because the contents can irritate the mouth and throat. They can be taken with or without food (section 2).
The Patient Information says some men have fewer symptoms after 3 months, but at least 6 months of treatment is usually needed to see if Avodart will work.
Women who are or may be pregnant should not handle the capsules (section 5.4).
The table below is the label's schedule, from the Dosage and Administration section. Numbers are copied exactly; the section is in brackets.
| Use | Dose on the label |
|---|---|
| Monotherapy | 1 capsule (0.5 mg) taken once daily |
| Combination with tamsulosin | 1 capsule (0.5 mg) taken once daily and tamsulosin 0.4 mg taken once daily |
A new PSA baseline is set at least 3 months after starting Avodart. For a single PSA value after 3 months or more on Avodart, the value is doubled to compare with normal values in untreated men.
No blood donation until at least 6 months after the last dose.
Dutasteride is broken down by CYP3A4 and CYP3A5. The effect of potent CYP3A4 inhibitors (such as ritonavir) has not been studied, so the label advises caution with long-term use of them.
If you miss a dose, you may take it later that day. Do not make up the missed dose by taking 2 doses the next day.
More on this: missed a dose of Avodart.
In Dose Track you set up Avodart as a protocol with the dose and schedule your prescriber gave you. A protocol can hold dose steps, each with its own dose and length in days or weeks, so a step-up plan like the one on the label can be entered once and the app moves to the next step on its own. Reminders follow the schedule, and every dose is logged with the date and time, so you can see which step you are on and when your last dose was. The app follows what you enter; it does not choose or change a dose.
This page is what the FDA label says, in plain words. It is not medical advice. Follow your prescriber, and ask them or your pharmacist about anything here.