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Are Propecia and Proscar the same medicine? Can I split Proscar tablets?

Although Propecia and >Proscar both contain the same active ingredient called finasteride, they are very different medicines and should not be interchanged. Proscar is a 5-mg tablet used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is an enlargement of the prostate gland. Propecia is a 1-mg tablet used to treat male-pattern baldness.

Proscar tablets are apple-shaped. We do not recommend splitting a Proscar tablet to get the same dose as a Propecia tablet because it's nearly impossible to cut a tablet into five evenly-sized pieces without having it crumble. If the pieces aren't the same size, you won't know what dose you're taking.

Sources:
Proscar product information, Merck & Co., Inc., 2006.
Propecia product information, Merck & Co., Inc., 2006.
Drug Facts and Comparisons. Facts & Comparisons, 2006.

This answer prepared 1/17/2001.
This information updated 12/05/2006

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