Short answer: Proscar (finasteride 5 mg): store below 86°F (30°C), protect from light and keep the container tightly closed; its Patient Information says a dry place at room temperature, in the original container. Minoxidil tablets (Par label): controlled room temperature 68° to 77°F (20° to 25°C), nothing else. Pregnant women should not handle crushed or broken Proscar tablets.
Proscar is finasteride 5 mg for an enlarged prostate. The minoxidil tablet label is for high blood pressure; low-dose use for hair is not on the label. This page uses the Par minoxidil label; other makers carry their own.
| Question | Proscar | Minoxidil tablets (Par) |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Room temperatures below 30°C (86°F) | Controlled room temperature 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F) |
| Lower limit or excursions | Not stated | Not stated |
| Light | Protect from light | Not stated |
| Container | Keep container tightly closed; leaflet: original container, kept closed | Not stated |
| Moisture | Leaflet: dry place | Not stated |
| Pack | Unit of use bottles of 30 and 100 | Bottles of 100 (2.5 mg and 10 mg) and 500 (10 mg) |
| Patient leaflet storage | Dry place at room temperature, original container, closed | No storage section |
| Handling | Women who are or may be pregnant should not handle crushed or broken tablets | Not stated |
Section 16: “Store at room temperatures below 30°C (86°F). Protect from light and keep container tightly closed.” Patient Information: “Store PROSCAR tablets in a dry place at room temperature.” “Keep PROSCAR in the original container and keep the container closed.”
Section 16 also says females should not handle crushed or broken Proscar tablets when they are pregnant or may be pregnant, because finasteride may be absorbed. The tablets are coated, which prevents contact during normal handling as long as they are not broken or crushed; after contact, wash the area right away with soap and water.
Propecia, the 1 mg finasteride tablet, has a different storage line: 59-86°F (15-30°C), protected from moisture, with no mention of light. See the Propecia page and Propecia vs Proscar.
How Supplied: “Store at controlled room temperature 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F) [See USP].” The Patient Information has no storage section, and the label says nothing about light, moisture or containers.
Dosing: Proscar and minoxidil tablets. Missed a dose: Proscar and minoxidil tablets. Side effects: Proscar and minoxidil tablets. Molecules: finasteride and oral minoxidil. Comparisons: oral vs topical minoxidil and minoxidil vs finasteride.
No ice pack is needed. Keep Proscar in its closed original bottle, out of light, below 86°F (30°C); keep minoxidil tablets in a carry-on, out of a hot car.