Betnesol Tablet 0.5mg, Betnesol-N Eye Ointment and Drops (Betamethasone)

GlaxoSmithKline Pakistan LimitedDRAP reg. 000262

We dispense this on prescription

We accept a prescription from any registered doctor in Pakistan.

In stock

Tablets 0.5mg, strip of 10Rs 40.55

Same day or next day in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi for orders confirmed before 6pm. Tracked courier, 2 to 4 working days everywhere else. Delivery Rs 250 in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Rs 300 everywhere else, cash on delivery. Delivery details

Prices in PKR, checked 28 October 2026.

Betnesol tablets: never stop suddenly, and watch for infections

Don’t stop the tablets on your own: the UK product information for Betnesol tablets says that after more than 3 weeks on more than about 1 mg of betamethasone a day, withdrawal should not be abrupt, and that reducing the dose too quickly after long treatment can lead to adrenal insufficiency, low blood pressure and death. Your doctor will tell you how to reduce it.

Infections: the UK label says corticosteroids increase the risk and severity of infections, and serious infections may be masked until they are advanced. It says chickenpox can be fatal in people whose immunity is suppressed, so seek urgent medical attention if you are exposed to chickenpox or measles.

Betnesol-N contains an antibiotic, neomycin: the UK product information for Betnesol-N drops says not to use it in the ear when the eardrum is perforated, because of the risk of damage to hearing, and never for an undiagnosed red eye, because inappropriate use is potentially blinding.

What Betnesol is

Betnesol (betamethasone, as sodium phosphate) is a corticosteroid: the 0.5 mg tablet is used for a wide range of inflammatory and allergic conditions such as bronchial asthma, severe allergic reactions and rheumatoid arthritis, according to the UK product information for Betnesol tablets, and Betnesol-N drops, which add the antibiotic neomycin, treat inflammation of the eye, ear or nose when an antibiotic is also needed, according to the UK product information for Betnesol-N drops. We dispense every Betnesol product on prescription.

Betnesol is several different products under one name, each with its own DRAP registration, listed by GSK Pakistan’s own product list. Check which one your prescription names: the tablet is taken by mouth, and the ointments and drops are only for the eye (and, for the drops, the ear and nose).
We found no Pakistani leaflet for any Betnesol product online, so no Pakistani document we could find states their uses or condition of sale. Dispensing them on prescription is our own policy, and the clinical facts on this page come from UK sources, each named where it is used.
DRAP notifies no price for Betnesol: its price index has no Betnesol entry, and DRAP’s registry gives an approved price only for the plain eye ointment, Rs 43.82 for 5 g.

The Betnesol products, side by side

Each product is a different medicine with a different use, so we sell each one separately.

Betnesol products in Pakistan, with DRAP registration and use
Product	What it contains	Used for	Sold here
Betnesol tablets (DRAP reg. 000262)	What it contains: Betamethasone 0.5 mg, as sodium phosphate	Used for: UK label: inflammatory and allergic conditions across the body	Sold here: Yes
Betnesol-N eye ointment (DRAP reg. 000251)	What it contains: Betamethasone sodium phosphate 0.1% with neomycin sulphate 0.5%	Used for: The eye only: the same two ingredients as Betnesol-N drops, as an ointment	Sold here: Yes, 5 g tube
Betnesol eye ointment, plain (DRAP reg. 000249)	What it contains: Betamethasone sodium phosphate 0.1%, no antibiotic	Used for: The eye only	Sold here: Yes, 5 g tube
Betnesol-N drops (DRAP reg. 091140)	What it contains: Betamethasone sodium phosphate 0.105% (0.1% betamethasone) with neomycin sulphate 0.5%	Used for: UK label: the eye, ear or nose, where an antibiotic is also needed	Sold here: Yes, 7.5 ml bottle; price confirmed on WhatsApp
Betnesol 4mg injection (DRAP reg. 089269)	What it contains: Betamethasone 4 mg, as sodium phosphate	Used for: Given in a clinic or hospital; DRAP records the route as intravenous	Sold here: No

What is in each product

From the label claims in DRAP’s registry.

Active ingredients in each Betnesol product, with DRAP registration
Product	Ingredient	Amount
Betnesol tablets (DRAP reg. 000262)	Ingredient: Betamethasone, as sodium phosphate	Amount: 0.5 mg per tablet
Betnesol-N eye ointment (DRAP reg. 000251)	Ingredient: Betamethasone sodium phosphate; neomycin sulphate	Amount: 0.1%; 0.5%
Betnesol eye ointment (DRAP reg. 000249)	Ingredient: Betamethasone sodium phosphate	Amount: 0.1%
Betnesol-N drops (DRAP reg. 091140)	Ingredient: Betamethasone disodium phosphate; neomycin sulphate	Amount: 0.105% w/v; 0.5% w/v
Betnesol injection (DRAP reg. 089269)	Ingredient: Betamethasone sodium phosphate	Amount: 4 mg

The UK label for Betnesol-N drops says 0.105% betamethasone sodium phosphate is equivalent to 0.1% betamethasone.

The UK’s Betnesol tablet is a soluble tablet; DRAP’s record calls Betnesol simply a tablet.

Betnesol tablets: uses and how to take them

The UK product information for Betnesol tablets says a wide variety of diseases may sometimes need corticosteroid treatment.

Uses the UK label names include bronchial asthma, severe allergic reactions and anaphylaxis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other inflammatory diseases of the connective tissue and blood vessels, and suppressing the immune system after a transplant.
The dose depends on the condition and is reduced gradually: the UK label gives different regimens for short-term treatment, rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions, so the choice belongs to your prescriber. Take it as they direct.
Steroid card: the UK patient leaflet for Betnesol tablets says anyone taking them for more than three weeks gets a steroid card, to keep with them and show to any doctor or nurse treating them.
Must not take them: anyone allergic to betamethasone, and anyone with an infection that affects the whole body unless it is being treated, according to the UK label.
Vaccines: the UK label says live vaccines should not be given to people whose immune response is impaired. Tell the vaccinator you take Betnesol.
Chickenpox and shingles: the UK patient leaflet says keep away from people who have them if you have never had them.

Betnesol-N drops and eye ointment

The UK product information for Betnesol-N drops lists short-term treatment of inflamed eyes when antibiotic cover is also needed, after viral and fungal disease has been excluded; outer-ear infection (otitis externa) and other ear conditions; and inflamed noses, in each case where an antibiotic is also needed.

How long: the UK label says Betnesol-N drops should normally not be used for more than 7 days, unless under expert supervision. How many drops and how often depend on whether they are for the eye, ear or nose, so follow your prescriber.
Must not use them: in viral, fungal, tuberculous or pus-forming eye infections; in fungal infections of the nose or ear; or if you have glaucoma, or a herpes infection of the eye (dendritic ulcer) is possible, according to the UK label.
Also don’t use the drops if you wear soft contact lenses, according to the UK patient leaflet for Betnesol-N drops.
Long or repeated eye treatment: the UK label says it should not be repeated or prolonged without regular review for raised eye pressure, cataract and unsuspected infection, and that prolonged use may cause skin sensitisation and resistant germs.
The eye ointment contains the same two ingredients as the drops. We found no UK label for a Betnesol-N eye ointment, so the uses and warnings above come from the label for the drops.
Driving: the UK label says the drops may briefly blur your vision, so don’t drive or use machinery until your vision is clear.

Plain Betnesol eye ointment

The plain eye ointment has betamethasone and no antibiotic. We found no UK label for it; the nearest is the UK product information for plain Betnesol drops, which lists short-term treatment of inflamed eyes after bacterial, viral and fungal infection has been excluded.

That label says not to use it in bacterial, viral, fungal, tuberculous or pus-forming eye conditions, or with glaucoma. Use the plain ointment only as your doctor directs.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Ask your doctor before using any Betnesol product if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Betamethasone in pregnancy and breastfeeding, by product
Product	What the UK labels say
Tablets	UK label: corticosteroids should only be prescribed in pregnancy when the benefits to mother and child outweigh the risks. They may pass into breast milk, and babies of mothers on high doses for long periods may have some adrenal suppression.
Betnesol-N drops and eye ointment	UK label for the drops: safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding has not been established, and there is a risk of hearing damage to the unborn baby if aminoglycoside antibiotics such as neomycin are used in pregnancy.

Side effects

The tablets act on the whole body; the ointments and drops mostly on the eye, ear or nose.

Side effects of Betnesol, by product and source
Product	Side effects
Tablets (UK label)	Mood and mental changes are common; also suppression of the body’s own steroid production, a rounded face, thinning bones, glaucoma and cataract, and stomach ulcers.
Betnesol-N (UK label for the drops)	Allergic reactions, usually delayed, with irritation, burning, stinging, itching and dermatitis; with intensive or prolonged use, cataract.

Betnesol injection

Betnesol is also registered as a 4 mg injection (DRAP registry entry), in packs of 5, for intravenous use.

We don’t sell the injection online: it is given in a clinic or hospital.

Checking your pack is genuine

As of 28 October 2026, a search of DRAP’s website found no alert, recall or rapid alert naming Betnesol.

Check that the batch number on the carton matches the one on the strip, tube or bottle, and that the pack is sealed.
DRAP registers Betnesol-N drops in a 7.5 ml bottle and the eye ointments in 5 g tubes. If a pack looks different from your last one, ask our pharmacist before using it.

We buy only from authorised distributors, and check the batch and expiry on every item before it is packed.

Information as of 28 October 2026. DRAP publishes new alerts on dra.gov.pk.

Returns and replacements

Medicines and supplements can’t be returned once they have left our pharmacy.

Returned medicine can never go back into saleable stock. That is a safety rule, not a commercial one.
If an item arrives damaged or wrong, tell us on WhatsApp within 24 hours and we replace it. That is us fixing our mistake, not a return.
Anything that arrives expired or within a month of expiry we replace or refund, your choice, with no time limit.

Our returns policy

Frequently asked questions

What is Betnesol tablet used for?

Betnesol tablets contain betamethasone, a corticosteroid. The UK product information names uses such as bronchial asthma, severe allergic reactions, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. Your doctor decides the dose and how to reduce it.

What is the difference between Betnesol and Betnesol-N?

Betnesol-N adds an antibiotic, neomycin, to the betamethasone. The UK product information for Betnesol-N drops says the drops are for inflammation of the eye, ear or nose when an antibiotic is also needed. Plain Betnesol eye ointment has no antibiotic.

Can I stop Betnesol tablets suddenly?

Not without your doctor’s advice. The UK product information says that after more than 3 weeks of treatment above about 1 mg a day, withdrawal should not be abrupt.

Can Betnesol-N drops be used in the ear?

Yes, the drops are for the eye, ear or nose, but the UK product information says not to use them in the ear if the eardrum is perforated, because of the risk of damage to hearing. The eye ointment is for the eye only.

Do you need a prescription to buy Betnesol?

We dispense every Betnesol product on prescription. We found no Pakistani leaflet online that states their condition of sale, so this is our own policy.

Questions about Betnesol Tablet 0.5mg, Betnesol-N Eye Ointment and Drops (Betamethasone)?

Send your question on WhatsApp and a pharmacist will come back to you.

WhatsApp Order Call 0316 5534828

Written by the ePharmacyy pharmacy team.

Last checked against the sources below on 28 October 2026

DRAP registration

Betnesol Tablets (000262), GlaxoSmithKline Pakistan Limited. DRAP’s registry shows: Approved / Finalized, “Not Verified”.
Betnesol N Eye Ointment (000251), GlaxoSmithKline Pakistan Limited. DRAP’s registry shows: Reviewed, “Not Verified”.
Betnesol Eye Ointment (000249), GlaxoSmithKline Pakistan Limited. DRAP’s registry shows: Reviewed, “Not Verified”.
Betnesol N Drops (091140), GlaxoSmithKline Pakistan Limited. DRAP’s registry shows: Active, “Approved / Verified”.
Betnesol 4mg Injection (089269), GlaxoSmithKline Pakistan Limited. DRAP’s registry shows: Approved / Finalized, “Not Verified”.

DRAP publishes no definition of this verification flag, so we can’t tell you what it means. We searched DRAP’s website for “Betnesol” and “betamethasone” on 28 October 2026 and found no alert naming Betnesol; the betamethasone results concerned other companies’ products. When we tested it, the search did not find a word that appears only inside an alert’s attached PDF, so an alert that names a product only in its PDF may not show up. DRAP describes its registered products index as a provisional list that “cannot be used as a reference for any purpose”. Checked against the registry on 28 October 2026.