Comprehensive medication guide to Adenocard including estimated pricing, availability information, side effects, and how to find it in stock at your local pharmacy.
Estimated Insurance Pricing
Adenosine is covered under the medical benefit (not pharmacy benefit). Medicare Part B covers outpatient administration at 80% after the annual deductible; commercial plans cover it as a facility service with standard deductible and coinsurance applying. Out-of-pocket varies widely by plan and deductible status.
Estimated Cash Pricing
Generic adenosine injection (3 mg/mL) starts at approximately $58 for a 20 mL vial through institutional distributors; individual vials (6 mg/2 mL) typically run $15–$60 depending on manufacturer and volume. As an institutionally administered drug, retail pricing does not apply.
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Adenocard is the brand name for adenosine injection, a sterile intravenous (IV) solution containing 3 mg of adenosine per milliliter. Adenosine is a naturally occurring nucleoside found in every cell of the human body, where it plays critical roles in energy metabolism and cellular signaling. As a medication, it is classified as a Group V antiarrhythmic and cardiac stressing agent.
Adenocard is approved by the FDA for conversion of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) to normal sinus rhythm, including PSVT associated with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. Under the brand name Adenoscan, it is also used as a pharmacologic stressor during nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (cardiac stress tests) in patients unable to exercise adequately.
Adenocard is not a medication taken at home. It must be administered intravenously by a trained healthcare provider in a clinical setting with continuous cardiac monitoring. Generic adenosine injection is produced by multiple manufacturers and widely used in hospitals in place of the branded Adenocard.
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Adenocard works by binding to purinergic adenosine receptors in the heart. For PSVT treatment, adenosine primarily activates A1 receptors in the AV node, causing two key effects: it opens potassium channels (hyperpolarizing the cell) and inhibits calcium channel influx. Together, these effects transiently block electrical conduction through the AV node, interrupting the reentry circuit driving PSVT and allowing the heart's natural sinus node to restore normal rhythm.
Adenosine's half-life is under 10 seconds — one of the shortest of any clinical drug. This ultra-short duration means its effects are almost immediately self-terminating, which explains why side effects (chest tightness, flushing, dyspnea) resolve within seconds. For stress testing, adenosine activates A2A receptors in coronary artery smooth muscle, producing vasodilation and increased coronary blood flow that mimics the cardiac demand of exercise.
Methylxanthines (caffeine, theophylline) competitively block adenosine receptors and can reduce or eliminate the drug's therapeutic effect. Dipyridamole potentiates adenosine by blocking its cellular clearance — this interaction is clinically significant and requires dose adjustment.
6 mg/2 mL (3 mg/mL) — intravenous injection
Standard PSVT conversion dose; Ansyr prefilled syringe (Adenocard brand)
3 mg/mL (20 mL vial) — intravenous infusion
Used for pharmacologic stress testing (Adenoscan brand); infused at 140 mcg/kg/min over 6 minutes
Adenocard (adenosine injection) is not available at retail pharmacies — it is an institutional drug stocked by hospitals, emergency departments, and outpatient cardiac facilities through medical distributors. As of 2026, adenosine is not on the FDA's active national shortage list, and multiple manufacturers produce generic adenosine injection, providing supply redundancy.
However, localized supply disruptions at specific distributors occur regularly with sterile injectable drugs — even in the absence of a national shortage. Adenosine has historically been vulnerable to supply pressures, most notably during the 2011–2012 U.S. injectable drug shortage crisis. Clinical teams should monitor distributor fill rates and have backup protocols for IV verapamil or diltiazem for PSVT, and regadenoson (Lexiscan) for stress testing.
If your facility is struggling to locate adenosine injection, medfinder contacts pharmacies and distributors near you to find which ones have it in stock, saving hours of manual outreach.
Adenocard is not a controlled substance and has no DEA scheduling requirements. It is administered by licensed healthcare providers in clinical settings with cardiac monitoring. Because adenosine requires IV administration and real-time cardiac monitoring, it is not prescribed for home use.
Providers who regularly use adenosine include:
Telehealth providers cannot administer adenosine remotely, as IV administration with cardiac monitoring requires in-person care. However, telehealth cardiologists can manage long-term SVT prevention with oral medications, order remote cardiac monitoring, and make specialist referrals.
No. Adenocard (adenosine) is not a DEA-scheduled controlled substance. It has no known potential for abuse, misuse, or physical dependence. Adenosine is an endogenous molecule naturally present in every cell of the human body, and its use as an IV medication in clinical settings poses no addiction risk.
Healthcare providers can prescribe and administer adenosine without DEA registration requirements. There are no federal quantity limits, prescription refill restrictions, or special monitoring requirements associated with adenosine's controlled substance status — because it does not have one. This distinguishes it from many cardiac medications and makes it administratively simpler to stock and dispense in clinical settings.
Adenocard's side effects are typically brief (lasting 5–30 seconds) due to its ultra-short half-life. Common effects documented in clinical studies include:
Rare but serious adverse events include:
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Verapamil IV
Non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker; similar PSVT conversion rate (~90%); longer half-life (3–6 hours); first-line before adenosine was approved in 1989; contraindicated in WPW and impaired LV function
Diltiazem IV
Non-dihydropyridine CCB; FDA-approved for PSVT conversion; conversion rates up to 96–100% in studies; lower hypotension risk than verapamil with slow infusion; half-life ~3 hours
Regadenoson (Lexiscan)
Selective A2A adenosine receptor agonist; FDA-approved for pharmacologic stress testing as alternative to Adenoscan; simpler bolus dosing (0.4 mg IV); better tolerated in mild reactive airway disease
Metoprolol / Esmolol
Beta-blockers used for long-term SVT prevention (metoprolol oral) or acute rate control (esmolol IV); not first-line for acute PSVT conversion but useful for maintenance and rate control
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Dipyridamole (Persantine)
majorPotentiates adenosine by blocking cellular clearance via nucleoside transporter inhibition. Can cause prolonged AV block or severe bradycardia. Withhold 48 hours before adenosine if possible; use lower starting dose if cannot hold.
Theophylline / Aminophylline
majorCompetitively blocks adenosine receptors, potentially preventing PSVT conversion. Patients on therapeutic theophylline may be adenosine-resistant. Consider alternative agents or higher doses.
Caffeine (methylxanthine)
moderateCompetitively antagonizes adenosine receptors. High caffeine intake may reduce PSVT conversion efficacy. Patients must avoid caffeine 12-24 hours before pharmacologic stress testing.
Digoxin + Verapamil (combination)
majorTriple combination of adenosine with both digoxin and verapamil has been associated with fatal and non-fatal ventricular fibrillation in post-marketing reports. Review full medication list before administering adenosine.
Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
moderateMay enhance adverse cardiac effects of adenosine, potentially increasing degree of AV block. Use lower starting dose with heightened monitoring.
Beta-blockers (metoprolol, atenolol, etc.)
moderateAdditive AV nodal slowing effects. May cause more pronounced bradycardia or AV block than expected. Heightened monitoring appropriate; generally not a contraindication.
Adenocard (adenosine injection) remains the first-line agent for acute PSVT management and plays an essential role in pharmacologic cardiac stress testing. Its ultra-short half-life makes it uniquely effective and uniquely challenging to administer — requiring specific technique, vein selection, and immediate saline flush to ensure the drug reaches the heart before it is metabolized.
For clinical teams, the key priorities are maintaining adequate stock of generic adenosine through multi-NDC sourcing, having a written shortage protocol for IV verapamil or diltiazem backup, and transitioning elective stress testing to regadenoson if adenosine supply becomes constrained. For patients, knowing that adenosine's dramatic side effects are transient and expected — not dangerous — can make the experience significantly less frightening.
If your facility needs help locating adenosine injection in stock, medfinder contacts pharmacies and distributors near you to find which ones have it available — saving your pharmacy team the time and effort of calling each source individually.
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