This grade answers one narrow question: how strong is the public evidence and safety record behind this drug, and how clean is its money trail and court record? It is not a verdict on whether the drug is right for you.
WARNING: SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS Antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in pediatric and young adult patients in short- term studies. Closely monitor all antidepressant-treated patients for clinical worsening, and for emergence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors [See Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ]. WARNING: SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. Antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in pediatric and young adult patients ( 5.1 ) Closely monitor for clinical worsening and emergence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors ( 5.1 )
Listed on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines: a global expert panel judged it among the medicines a health system should always have, on evidence of value, not marketing.
Sertraline hydrochloride tablets are indicated for the treatment of the following [See Clinical Studies (14) ]: Major depressive disorder (MDD) Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Panic disorder (PD) Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Social anxiety disorder (SAD) Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) Sertraline hydrochloride tablets are a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) indicated for the treatment of ( 1 ): Major depressive disorder (MDD) Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Panic disorder (PD) Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Social anxiety disorder (SAD) Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
Sertraline hydrochloride tablets are contraindicated in patients: Taking, or within 14 days of stopping, MAOIs, (including the MAOIs linezolid and intravenous methylene blue) because of an increased risk of serotonin syndrome [See Warnings and Precautions (5.2) , Drug Interactions (7.1) ] . Taking pimozide [See Drug Interactions (7.1) ] . With known hypersensitivity to sertraline (e.g., anaphylaxis, angioedema) [See Adverse Reactions (6.1 , 6.2) ]. Concomitant use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), or use within 14 days of stopping MAOIs ( 4 , 7.1 ) Concomitant use of pimozide ( 4 , 7.1 ) Known hypersensitivity to sertraline or excipients ( 4 , 5.4 )
Serotonin Syndrome: Increased risk when co-administered with other serotonergic agents, but also when taken alone. If it occurs, discontinue sertraline and initiate supportive treatment. ( 5.2 ) Increased Risk of Bleeding: Concomitant use of aspirin, nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), other antiplatelet drugs, warfarin, and other anticoagulants may increase this risk. ( 5.3 ) Activation of Mania/Hypomania: Screen patients for bipolar disorder. ( 5.4 ) Seizures: Use with caution in patients with seizure disorders. ( 5.6 ) Angle Closure Glaucoma: Avoid use of antidepressants, including sertraline hydrochloride, in patients with untreated anatomically narrow angles. ( 5.7 ) QTc Prolongation: Sertraline hydrochloride should be used with caution in patients with risk factors for QTc prolongation. ( 5.10 ) Sexual Dysfunction: Sertraline hydrochloride may cause symptoms of sexual dysfunction. ( 5.11 ) 5.1 Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Pediatric and Young Adult Patients In pooled analyses of placebo-controlled trials of antidepressant drugs (SSRIs and other antidepressant classes) that included approximately 77,000 adult patients and over 4,400 pediatric patients, the inc...
The following adverse reactions are described in more detail in other sections of the prescribing information: Hypersensitivity reactions to sertraline [See Contraindications (4) ] QTc prolongation and ventricular arrhythmias when taken with pimozide [See Contraindications (4) , Clinical Pharmacology (12.2) ] Suicidal thoughts and behaviors [See Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Serotonin syndrome [See Contraindications (4) , Warnings and Precautions (5.2) , Drug Interactions (7.1) ] Increased risk of bleeding [See Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] Activation of mania/hypomania [See Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Discontinuation syndrome [See Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] Seizures [See Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] Angle-closure glaucoma [See Warnings and Precautions (5.7) ] Hyponatremia [See Warnings and Precautions (5.8) ] Sexual Dysfunction [See Warnings and Precautions (5.11) ] Most common adverse reactions (≥5% and twice placebo) in pooled placebo- controlled MDD, OCD, PD, PTSD, SAD and PMDD clinical trials were nausea, diarrhea/loose stool, tremor, dyspepsia, decreased appetite, hyperhidrosis, ejaculation failure, and decreased libido. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERS...
Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 , 5.3 ) 8/2023
Source: FDA SPL label for SERTRALINE HYDROCHLORIDE (ScieGen Pharmaceuticals Inc), effective 20231108. Full label on DailyMed.
These are counts of reports people filed, not rates of harm. Anyone can file one, and nobody checks whether the drug was the cause. Millions of doses are taken for every report sent, so the useful part is how this drug compares with the average across all drugs.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17,489 | 16,132 | 13,362 | 12,986 | 11,912 | 12,813 | 14,104 | 6,839 |
2,054 reports blaming this drug for every million Medicare prescriptions filled, which is 0.7× the typical drug on this site. (33,204 reports in 2024–2026, against 16,161,912 Medicare fills in one year. This is the one number here that accounts for how many people take the drug.)
Source: the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports are voluntary and unverified. Drugs that are prescribed a lot, in the news, or in lawsuits attract more reports, so the percentages are compared with the whole database to correct for that partly, not fully.
| Date | Class | Firm | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/2025 | Class II | Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. | Defective container - seal not adhering to bottles |
| 12/2023 | Class II | Legacy Pharmaceutical Packaging LLC | CGMP Deviations: Inadequate line clearance which may result in a potential comingling of product. |
Class I = reasonable probability of serious harm. Class II = temporary or reversible harm. Class III = unlikely to harm. Most generic recalls are manufacturing or labeling defects for one lot, not a verdict on the molecule.
Counts measure how much evidence exists and how transparent it is, not how big the benefit is. For that, ask your prescriber: if 100 people like me took this, how many would get better because of it, and how many would be harmed? (Doctors call these the "number needed to treat" and "number needed to harm.") It differs by condition and is the number drug ads leave out. Sources: PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov.
In 2024, drug companies reported $31,114 in payments to US physicians and hospitals tied to this drug across 11 transactions (Zoloft $31,114).
No pending federal MDL names this drug or its brands.
Not named in any federal pharmaceutical settlement of $100M or more on record.
Sources: CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act); Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation pending docket list; DOJ settlements as tabulated on Wikipedia with links to the primary record. State-court and individual suits are not included.
| Product | Fills | $/fill |
|---|---|---|
| Sertraline HCl | 16,148,462 | $9 |
| Zoloft | 13,450 | $1,051 |
Same ATC pharmacological class, graded ones first, best grade at the top. Being in the same class does not make them interchangeable for your condition; it makes them worth asking about.