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Polocaine

Mepivacaine Hydrochloride · Injection, Solution

Prescription ANDA TE AP Official labelling
Informational index, not medical advice. Content is reproduced from public FDA and NLM data. Always confirm against the manufacturer's current prescribing information. Report adverse events to FDA MedWatch.

Overview

Brand name
Polocaine
Generic name
Mepivacaine Hydrochloride
Dosage form
Injection, Solution
Route
Submucosal
Marketing category
ANDA · ANDA
Labeler
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
Product type
Human Prescription Drug
DEA schedule
Not scheduled
Active ingredients
3
NDC product codes
4
Packages
4
Data completeness
77% of corroborating sources present

Active ingredients

Source: NDC Directory
Active ingredients and strengths as listed in the NDC Directory.
Ingredient Strength RxCUI Monograph
Mepivacaine Hydrochloride 10 mg/mL 1305263 View
Mepivacaine Hydrochloride 20 mg/mL 1305263 View
Mepivacaine Hydrochloride 30 mg/mL 1305263 View

Forms, strengths and routes

Source: NDC Directory
Dosage form
Injection, Solution
Route of administration
Submucosal
Presentations
8

Pharmacologic classes are listed in the class section below.

Pharmacologic class

Source: NDC Directory
Established pharmacologic classes (EPC), mechanisms of action (MoA), chemical structures (CS) and physiologic effects (PE).
Class Type Browse
Amide Local Anesthetic [EPC] EPC All 47 members
Amides [CS] CS All 47 members
Local Anesthesia [PE] PE All 53 members

Regulatory status

Source: Drugs@FDANDC Directory
Application number
088387
Application type
ANDA · Abbreviated New Drug Application
Approval date
October 10, 1984
Sponsor
DEPROCO
Products on application
1
Submissions recorded
20
Products approved under application 088387.
Product Trade name Form Strength Ingredient Status TE Flags
088387-001 SCANDONEST PLAIN INJECTABLE MEPIVACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE Prescription AP RS

Therapeutic equivalence

Source: Orange Book
TE code
AP
Reference Listed Drug
No
Reference Standard
Yes

What this rating means: Therapeutically equivalent — bioequivalence demonstrated (parenteral aqueous solutions)

Codes beginning with “A” indicate products the FDA considers therapeutically equivalent. Codes beginning with “B” indicate bioequivalence has not been established. See methodology.

Approval history

Source: Drugs@FDA
Most recent submissions on application 088387.
Type No. Action Status Date Review
Supplement 38 Labeling Approved November 2, 2018 Standard
Supplement 35 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved June 8, 2017 Unknown
Supplement 30 Labeling Approved June 18, 2007 —
Supplement 28 Labeling Approved October 12, 2004 —
Supplement 26 Labeling Approved January 23, 2003 —
Supplement 20 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved April 6, 2000 —
Supplement 19 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved April 6, 2000 —
Supplement 15 Labeling Approved March 4, 1996 —
Supplement 16 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved August 4, 1994 —
Supplement 14 Labeling Approved September 16, 1993 —
Supplement 13 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved May 12, 1992 —
Supplement 11 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved February 7, 1992 —
Supplement 10 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved September 12, 1989 —
Supplement 9 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved September 12, 1989 —
Supplement 8 Labeling Approved May 5, 1988 —
Supplement 7 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved June 17, 1987 —
Supplement 5 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved April 8, 1987 —
Supplement 4 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved January 14, 1986 —
Supplement 2 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved September 10, 1985 —
Original application 1 Approved October 10, 1984 —

Prescribing information

Source: openFDA Drug Labeling

Reproduced verbatim from the Structured Product Labeling submitted to the FDA (effective 20240221). This is the manufacturer's labelling text, not a summary and not advice.

HUMAN PRESCRIPTION DRUG · 20240221

Indications and Usage

openFDA Drug Labeling

INDICATIONS AND USAGE Mepivacaine is indicated for production of local anesthesia for dental procedures by infiltration or nerve block in adults and pediatric patients.

Dosage and Administration

openFDA Drug Labeling

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION As with all local anesthetics, the dose varies and depends upon the area to be anesthetized, the vascularity of the tissues, individual tolerance and the technique of anesthesia. The lowest dose needed to provide effective anesthesia should be administered. For specific techniques and procedures refer to standard dental manuals and textbooks. For infiltration and block injections in the upper or lower jaw, the average dose of 1 cartridge will usually suffice. Each cartridge contains 1.7 mL (34 mg of 2% or 51 mg of 3%). 5.3 cartridges (180 mg of the 2% solution or 270 mg of the 3% solution) are usually adequate to effect anesthesia of the entire oral cavity. Whenever a larger dose seems to be necessary for an extensive procedure, the maximum dose should be calculated according to the patient's weight. A dose of up to 3 mg per pound of body weight may be administered. At any single dental sitting the total dose for all injected sites should not exceed 400 mg in adults. The maximum pediatric dose should be carefully calculated . Maximum dose for pediatric population = Child's Weight (lbs.) × Maximum Recommended Dose for Adults (400 mg) 150 The following table, approximating these calculations, may also be used as a guide. This table is based upon a recommended maximum for larger pediatric population of 5.3 cartridges (the maximum recommended adult dose) during any single dental sitting, regardless of the pediatric patient's weight or (for 2% mepivacaine) calculated maximum amount of drug: Maximum Allowable Dosage Adapted from Malamed, Stanley F: Handbook of medical emergencies in the dental office, ed. 2, St. Louis, 1982. The C.V. Mosby Co. 3% Mepivacaine Plain 2% Mepivacaine 1:20,000 Levonordefrin 3 mg/lb (270 mg max.) 3 mg/lb (180 mg max.) Weight (lb.) mg Number of Cartridges mg Number of Cartridges 20 60 1.2 60 1.8 30 90 1.8 90 2.6 40 120 2.3 120 3.5 50 150 2.9 150 4.4 60 180 3.5 180 5.3 80 240 4.7 180 5.3 100 270 5.3 180 5.3 120 270 5.3 180 5.3 When using Polocaine ® for infiltration or regional block anesthesia, injection should always be made slowly and with frequent aspiration. Any unused portion of a cartridge should be discarded. Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit.

Contraindications

openFDA Drug Labeling

CONTRAINDICATIONS Polocaine ® is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to amide-type local anesthetics.

WARNINGS RESUSCITATIVE EQUIPMENT AND DRUGS SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE. (See ADVERSE REACTIONS ). Reactions resulting in fatality have occurred on rare occasions with the use of local anesthetics, even in the absence of a history of hypersensitivity. Fatalities may occur with use of local anesthetics in the head and neck region as the result of retrograde arterial flow to vital CNS areas even when maximum recommended doses are observed. The practitioner should be alert to early evidences of alteration in sensorium or vital signs. The solution which contains a vasoconstrictor (2% (20 mg/mL) Polocaine ® DENTAL with Levonordefrin 1:20,000) should be used with extreme caution for patients whose medical history and physical evaluation suggest the existence of hypertension, arteriosclerotic heart disease, cerebral vascular insufficiency, heart block, thyrotoxicosis and diabetes, etc. The solution which contains a vasoconstrictor (2% (20 mg/mL) Polocaine ® DENTAL with Levonordefrin 1:20,000) also contains potassium metabisulfite, a sulfite that may cause allergic-type reactions including anaphylactic symptoms and life-threatening or less severe asthmatic episodes in certain susceptible people. The overall prevalence of sulfite sensitivity in the general population is unknown and probably low. Sulfite sensitivity is seen more frequently in asthmatic than in non-asthmatic people. 3% (30 mg/mL) Polocaine ® DENTAL is SULFITE FREE. The American Heart Association has made the following recommendations regarding the use of local anesthetics with vasoconstrictors in patients with ischemic heart disease: "Vasoconstrictor agents should be used in local anesthesia solutions during dental practice only when it is clear that the procedure will be shortened or the analgesia rendered more profound. When a vasoconstrictor is indicated, extreme care should be taken to avoid intravascular injection. The minimum possible amount of vasoconstrictor should be used." (Kaplan, EL, editor: Cardiovascular disease in dental practice, Dallas 1986, American Heart Association.) Methemoglobinemia Cases of methemoglobinemia have been reported in association with local anesthetic use; Polocaine ® , along with other local anesthetics, is capable of producing this condition. Although all patients are at risk for methemoglobinemia, patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, congenital or idiopathic methemoglobinemia, cardiac or pulmonary compromise, infants under 6 months of age, and concurrent exposure to oxidizing agents or their metabolites are more susceptible to developing clinical manifestations of the condition. If local anesthetics must be used in these patients, close monitoring for symptoms and signs of methemoglobinemia is recommended. Signs of methemoglobinemia may occur immediately or may be delayed some hours after exposure, and are characterized by cyanosis of the skin, nail beds and lips, and/or abnormal coloration of the blood, fatigue and weakness. Methemoglobin levels may continue to rise; therefore, immediate treatment is required to avert more serious central nervous system and cardiovascular adverse effects, including seizures, coma, arrhythmias, and death. Discontinue Polocaine ® and any other oxidizing agents. Depending on the severity of the signs and symptoms, patients may respond to supportive care, i.e., oxygen therapy, hydration. If methemoglobinemia does not respond to administration of oxygen, a more severe clinical presentation may require treatment with methylene blue, exchange transfusion, or hyperbaric oxygen.

Adverse Reactions

openFDA Drug Labeling

ADVERSE REACTIONS Reactions to Polocaine ® are characteristic of those associated with other amide-type local anesthetics. Systemic adverse reactions involving the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system usually result from high plasma levels (which may be due to excessive dosage, rapid absorption, inadvertent intravascular injection, or slow metabolic degradation), injection technique, or volume of injection. A small number of reactions may result from hypersensitivity, idiosyncrasy or diminished tolerance to normal dosage on the part of the patient. Persistent paresthesias of the lips, tongue, and oral tissues have been reported with the use of mepivacaine, with slow, incomplete, or no recovery. These post-marketing events have been reported chiefly following nerve blocks in the mandible and have involved the trigeminal nerve and its branches. Reactions involving the central nervous system are characterized by excitation and/or depression. Nervousness, dizziness, blurred vision, or tremors may occur followed by drowsiness, convulsions, unconsciousness, and possible respiratory arrest. Since excitement may be transient or absent, the first manifestations may be drowsiness merging into unconsciousness and respiratory arrest. Cardiovascular reactions are depressant. They may be the result of direct drug effect or more commonly in dental practice, the result of vasovagal reaction, particularly if the patient is in the sitting position. Failure to recognize premonitory signs such as sweating, feeling of faintness, changes in pulse or sensorium may result in progressive cerebral hypoxia and seizure or serious cardiovascular catastrophe. Management consists of placing the patient in the recumbent position and administration of oxygen. Vasoactive drugs such as Ephedrine or Methoxamine may be administered intravenously. Allergic reactions are rare and may occur as a result of sensitivity to the local anesthetic and are characterized by cutaneous lesions of delayed onset or urticaria, edema and other manifestations of allergy. The detection of sensitivity by skin testing is of limited value. As with other local anesthetics, anaphylactoid reactions to mepivacaine have occurred rarely. The reaction may be abrupt and severe and is not usually dose related. Localized puffiness and swelling may occur.

Drug Interactions

openFDA Drug Labeling

Clinically Significant Drug Interactions The administration of local anesthetic solutions containing vasopressors, such as Levonordefrin, Epinephrine or Norepinephrine, to patients receiving tricyclic antidepressants or monoamine oxidase inhibitors may produce severe, prolonged hypertension. Concurrent use of these agents should generally be avoided. In situations when concurrent therapy is necessary, careful patient monitoring is essential. Concurrent administration of vasopressor drugs and of ergot-type oxytocic drugs may cause severe, persistent hypertension or cerebrovascular accidents. Phenothiazines and butyrophenones may reduce or reverse the pressor effect of Epinephrine. Solutions containing a vasoconstrictor should be used cautiously in the presence of diseases which may adversely affect the patient's cardiovascular system. Serious cardiac arrhythmias may occur if preparations containing a vasoconstrictor are employed in patients during or following the administration of potent inhalation anesthetics. Patients who are administered local anesthetics are at increased risk of developing methemoglobinemia when concurrently exposed to the following drugs, which could include other local anesthetics: EXAMPLES OF DRUGS ASSOCIATED WITH METHEMOGLOBINEMIA: Class Examples Nitrates/Nitrites nitric oxide, nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, nitrous oxide Local anesthetics articaine, benzocaine, bupivacaine, lidocaine, mepivacaine, prilocaine, procaine, ropivacaine, tetracaine Antineoplastic Agents cyclophosphamide, flutamide, hydroxyurea, ifosfamide, rasburicase Antibiotics dapsone, nitrofurantoin, para-aminosalicylic acid, sulfonamides Antimalarials chloroquine, primaquine Anticonvulsants phenobarbital, phenytoin, sodium valproate Other drugs acetaminophen, metoclopramide, quinine, sulfasalazine MEPIVACAINE SHOULD BE USED WITH CAUTION IN PATIENTS WITH KNOWN DRUG ALLERGIES AND SENSITIVITIES. A thorough history of the patient's prior experience with mepivacaine or other local anesthetics as well as concomitant or recent drug use should be taken (see CONTRAINDICATIONS ). Patients allergic to methylparaben or para-aminobenzoic acid derivatives (procaine, tetracaine, benzocaine, etc.) have not shown cross-sensitivity to agents of the amide type such as mepivacaine. Since mepivacaine is metabolized in the liver and excreted by the kidneys, it should be used cautiously in patients with liver and renal disease.

Description

openFDA Drug Labeling

DESCRIPTION Mepivacaine Hydrochloride, a tertiary amine used as a local anesthetic, is 1-methyl-2,' 6' - pipecoloxylidide monohydrochloride with the following structural formula: It is a white, crystalline, odorless powder soluble in water, but very resistant to both acid and alkaline hydrolysis. Levonordefrin, a sympathomimetic amine used as a vasoconstrictor in local anesthetic solution, is (-)-α-(1-Aminoethyl)-3, 4-dihydroxybenzyl alcohol with the following structural formula: It is a white or buff-colored crystalline solid, freely soluble in aqueous solutions of mineral acids, but practically insoluble in water. DENTAL CARTRIDGES MAY NOT BE AUTOCLAVED. 3% (30 mg/mL) Polocaine ® DENTAL (mepivacaine hydrochloride injection 3% (30 mg/mL)) and 2% (20 mg/mL) Polocaine ® DENTAL with Levonordefrin 1:20,000 (mepivacaine hydrochloride 2% (20 mg/mL) with levonordefrin 1:20,000 injection) are sterile solutions for injection. COMPOSITION: CARTRIDGE The pH of the 2% cartridge solution is adjusted between 3.3 and 5.5 with NaOH. The pH of the 3% cartridge solution is adjusted between 4.5 and 6.8 with NaOH. Each mL contains: 2% 3% Mepivacaine Hydrochloride 20 mg 30 mg Levonordefrin 0.05 mg - Sodium Chloride 4 mg 6 mg Potassium metabisulfite 1.2 mg - Edetate disodium 0.25 mg - Sodium Hydroxide q.s. ad pH; Hydrochloric Acid 0.5 mg - Water For Injection, qs. ad. 1 mL 1 mL Chemical Structure Chemical Structure

OVERDOSAGE Treatment of a patient with toxic manifestations consists of assuring and maintaining a patent airway and supporting ventilation (respiration) as required. This usually will be sufficient in the management of most reactions. Should a convulsion persist despite ventilatory therapy, small increments of anticonvulsive agents may be given intravenously, such as benzodiazephine (e.g., diazepam) or ultrashort-acting barbiturates (e.g., thiopental or thiamylal) or short-acting barbiturates (e.g., pentobarbital or secobarbital). Cardiovascular depression may require circulatory assistance with intravenous fluids and/or vasopressor (e.g., Ephedrine) as dictated by the clinical situation. Allergic reactions should be managed by conventional means. Intravenous and subcutaneous LD50's in mice for mepivacaine hydrochloride 3% are 33 and 258 mg/kg, respectively. The acute IV and SC LD50's in mice for mepivacaine hydrochloride 2% with levonordefrin 1:20,000 are 30 and 184 mg/kg, respectively.

How Supplied / Storage and Handling

openFDA Drug Labeling

HOW SUPPLIED 3% (30 mg/mL) Polocaine ® DENTAL (Mepivacaine Hydrochloride Injection USP) (NDC 66312-441-16) is available in cardboard boxes containing 5 blisters of 10 × 1.7 mL single-dose dental cartridges, 50 per carton. 2% (20 mg/mL) Polocaine ® DENTAL with Levonordefrin 1:20,000 (Mepivacaine Hydrochloride and Levonordefrin Injection USP) (NDC 66312-461-16) is available in cardboard boxes containing 5 blisters of 10 × 1.7 mL single-dose dental cartridges, 50 per carton. Both solutions should be stored at controlled room temperature, below 25° C (77° F). Protect from light . Do not permit to freeze. BOXES For protection from light, retain in box until time of use. Once opened, the box should be reclosed by closing the top flap. The 2% (20 mg/mL) Polocaine ® DENTAL with Levonordefrin 1:20,000 solution should not be used if its color is pinkish or darker than slightly yellow or it contains a precipitate. Cartridge warmers should not be used with Polocaine ® products.

Adverse event reports

Source: openFDA FAERS
1,144
FAERS reports mentioning this drug
as of 2026-09-25T03:42:24+00:00
A report count is not a risk measure. FAERS accepts voluntary and mandatory reports without establishing causation, and reporting is influenced by how widely a drug is used, how long it has been marketed, and media attention. FDA states that reports “do not prove that the drug caused the event”. Compare rates, not totals.

Attributed to this product's most-reported active ingredient: MEPIVACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE. Combination products with more than six active ingredients are not attributed, because a report count summed across a long ingredient list measures the list, not the medicine.

Recalls

Source: FDA Enforcement
Drug recall enforcement reports associated with this product.
Classification Reported Firm Reason Status
Class II December 24, 2025 Novocol Pharmaceutical of Canada, Inc. Defective container: cracked/broken cartridges Ongoing

Packaging and NDCs

Source: NDC Directory
Every National Drug Code package associated with this medication. The NDC is the identifier used for dispensing, billing and pharmacovigilance in the United States.
Package NDC Product NDC Labeler Description Marketing start
66312-441-16 66312-441 Dentsply Pharmaceutical 50 CARTRIDGE in 1 CARTON (66312-441-16) / 1.7 mL in 1 CARTRIDGE October 10, 1984
63323-283-57 63323-283 Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC 25 VIAL, MULTI-DOSE in 1 TRAY (63323-283-57) / 50 mL in 1 VIAL, MULTI-DOSE (63323-283-01) July 20, 2009
63323-296-57 63323-296 Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC 25 VIAL, MULTI-DOSE in 1 TRAY (63323-296-57) / 50 mL in 1 VIAL, MULTI-DOSE (63323-296-01) July 20, 2009
51004-4411-6 51004-4411 Novocol Pharmaceutical of Canada Inc. 50 CARTRIDGE in 1 CARTON (51004-4411-6) / 1.7 mL in 1 CARTRIDGE October 10, 1984
66312-441 66312-441 Dentsply Pharmaceutical — October 10, 1984
63323-283 63323-283 Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC — July 20, 2009
63323-296 63323-296 Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC — July 20, 2009
51004-4411 51004-4411 Novocol Pharmaceutical of Canada Inc. — October 10, 1984

Sources for this page

Every dataset that contributed a fact to this page.
Dataset Agency Used for
NDC Directory FDA Identity, ingredients, strengths, forms, routes, labelers, packages
Drugs@FDA FDA Application, sponsor, submissions, review documents, marketing status
Orange Book FDA Therapeutic equivalence codes, reference drug flags, patents, exclusivity
Drug Labeling FDA / NLM Prescribing information reproduced above
FAERS FDA Adverse event report counts
Enforcement FDA Recall records

Generated September 25, 2026 · 12 sections on this page.