The annual Passover medicine lists published by OU Kosher and Star-K are reference guides that show how specific US brand-name medicines were categorized that year. They tell you what a list found about a named product, not whether your situation is settled. Every list opens with the same caution: consult your doctor and rabbi before deciding not to take a medicine. The lists work best as a starting point for that conversation, not as a final answer.
What the lists are and who publishes them
OU Kosher publishes Passover medication guidelines that explain the rules for different medicine forms and direct readers to their rabbi for questions about kitniyot in medicine [2]. Star-K publishes an annually updated Quick-Pick Medicine List for Passover [1]. The 2026 edition describes itself as a sample of chometz-free and kosher medicines listed by category, using US brand names only, with a note that products may contain kitniyot unless otherwise indicated [1].
Both organizations update their lists each year before Passover. The lists are free and available online. OU Kosher's guidelines live at oukosher.org/passover/medicine-guidelines/ [2]. Star-K's Quick-Pick List is at star-k.org, with updates posted on the Star-K Passover page [1].
The lists exist because Passover medicine questions are common and the answers depend on the exact product, its form, and your health situation. A medicine that works for one person may not be the right choice for another, and a product sold under one brand name in the United States may not exist or may have different ingredients elsewhere. The lists narrow the field by showing how each organization evaluated specific US products.
What a list can tell you
A current annual list tells you the category that organization assigned to a specific US brand name that year. If you find your exact medicine on the list, you know how that organization categorized it. That is useful information to bring to your rav and doctor.
The lists organize medicines by type: pain relievers, allergy medicines, diabetes medicines, and so on. Each entry shows the brand name, sometimes the active ingredient, and often a note about kitniyot or other concerns. Some entries say a product is chometz-free; others note that kitniyot may be present.
The Star-K list is particularly useful because it is updated annually and organized by category, making it easy to search for a specific medicine type [1]. If you take a pain reliever or an allergy medicine, you can find the category, look for your brand name, and see what Star-K found [1].
What a list cannot do
A list does not rule on your specific situation. It does not know your health, your other medicines, your custom, or your rav's position. It does not cover medicines sold under different brand names in other countries. It does not replace a conversation with your doctor and rav.
The lists are built from US brand names only [1]. If you take a medicine sold in Canada, Europe, Israel or elsewhere under a different name or formulation, the US list will not help you. Your pharmacist and your rav are the people who can answer that question.
A list also does not settle the kitniyot question for you personally. OU Kosher's guidelines state that in many cases medicinal items containing kitniyot are permitted for people who are ill, and that questions on this issue should be directed to your rabbi [2]. That means the list might show that a product contains kitniyot, but whether you can use it depends on your rav's ruling for your situation.
How medicine forms affect Passover status
OU Kosher's guidelines explain that the form of the medicine matters. Creams, non-chewable pills and injections may be owned, used and consumed on Passover, even if they contain chametz or kitniyot [2]. These forms are not considered food because they are not meant to be eaten.
Liquid medicines, chewable pills and pills coated with a flavored glaze are considered palatable, meaning they taste like food, and they may contain chametz [2]. Gelcaps may contain non-kosher edible gelatin and should be replaced, under the direction of a doctor, with a non-chewable uncoated pill where possible [2].
This is why the form of your medicine matters as much as the ingredient list. A medicine that is fine in pill form might not be fine if it is liquid. A chewable tablet raises different questions than a non-chewable one. The lists sometimes note the form; your pharmacist always knows it.
The OU caution and the preservation of life
OU Kosher's Passover medication guidelines open by saying that you should exercise extreme caution and consult with your doctor and rabbi before making a decision not to take a medicine [2]. This is not a casual warning. It reflects the principle that preservation of human life overrides the commandments.
If you take a medicine regularly for a chronic condition, stopping it for Passover is a medical decision, not a religious one. Your doctor knows whether a break is safe. Your rav knows whether your situation permits an exception. The two conversations are separate, and both matter.
The same principle applies to Yom Kippur and other fast days. If you take medicine every day, you do not stop on a fast day without talking to your doctor and rav first. The lists and guidelines exist to help you find a form or product that works within your observance, not to create a reason to skip your medicine.
Using a list correctly
Here is what to do when you find a medicine on a Passover list.
| Step | What to check |
|---|---|
| Check the list year | Make sure you are looking at the current year's list, not an old one. Formulations change and lists are updated annually [1]. |
| Check the exact brand name | The list uses US brand names only [1]. If your medicine is sold under a different name in your country, the list will not help. Ask your pharmacist and rav. |
| Note the kitniyos caveat | If the list shows your product may contain kitniyot, that is not a final answer. OU Kosher states that in many cases such medicines are permitted for people who are ill, and you should ask your rabbi [2]. |
| Take the unresolved question to your rav | If the list does not cover your medicine, or if you have a question the list does not answer, your rav is the person who rules on your situation [2]. |
| Never stop a medicine without your doctor and rav | OU Kosher's guidelines open with the caution to consult your doctor and rabbi before deciding not to take a medicine [2]. Both conversations are necessary. |
Finding your medicine on the lists
Start with the guides hub to see all Refuah's Passover and medication articles in one place. If you want to know whether a specific medicine needs Passover certification or what questions to ask your rav, read which medicines need Passover certification. If you have a broader question about how to think about medicines and observance, kosher questions about medication walks through the framework.
For the lists themselves, go to OU Kosher's Passover medication guidelines [2] and Star-K's Quick-Pick Medicine List [1]. Have your medicine bottle or your pharmacy records with you so you can check the exact brand name and form. If your medicine is not on either list, or if you have a question the lists do not answer, write down the question and bring it to your rav and your pharmacist.
What to do next
- Find your current medicine bottle or your pharmacy records and note the exact brand name and form (pill, liquid, injection, chewable, etc.).
- Check the year on the OU Kosher Passover medication guidelines and Star-K Quick-Pick Medicine List to make sure you are looking at the current year [1][2].
- Search for your exact brand name on both lists [1][2].
- If you find your medicine, note any caveat about kitniyot or form [1][2].
- If the list shows a question you cannot answer yourself, write it down.
- Ask your pharmacist whether your medicine is available in a different form (non-chewable pill instead of liquid, for example) if the current form raises a question [2].
- Bring the list entry and your question to your rav before Passover [2].
- Before Passover, also confirm with your doctor that it is safe to continue your medicine through the holiday without a break [2].
Sources
- Star-K, 2026 Quick-Pick Medicine List, Passover medicine categories and brand names, accessed 2026-08-09, https://www.star-k.org/articles/wp-content/uploads/qp-med-list.pdf
- OU Kosher, Passover medicine lists and guidelines, medicine forms, kitniyot, and the caution to consult your doctor and rabbi, accessed 2026-08-09, https://oukosher.org/passover/medicine-guidelines/