amoxicillin
Brand names: Amoxil
Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Potassium is a combination medicine used to fight bacterial infections. It contains amoxicillin, an antibiotic, and clavulanate, which helps the amoxicillin work better.
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.02/unit
Generic Available
Yes (50 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
This medicine treats infections like lower respiratory infections, ear infections (otitis media), sinus infections, skin infections, and urinary tract infections.
Common side effects
Diarrhea or loose stools, Nausea, Skin rashes
Key warnings
This medicine can cause serious allergic reactions, including fatal ones.
How It Works
Amoxicillin kills bacteria by stopping them from building cell walls. Some bacteria produce a substance called beta-lactamase, which can destroy amoxicillin. Clavulanate blocks beta-lactamase, allowing amoxicillin to effectively kill the bacteria.
How to Take It
Take this medicine exactly as your doctor tells you. You can take it with or without food, but it's best to take it at the start of a meal to avoid stomach upset. Adults and children over 40 kg usually take 500 or 875 mg every 12 hours, or 250 or 500 mg every 8 hours. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully for the right dose and timing.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if this medicine will harm your unborn baby. Amoxicillin passes into breast milk and may cause harm to a nursing infant. Talk to your doctor before breastfeeding.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.
Storage
Store this medicine at room temperature, away from moisture and heat.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 37,433 FDA adverse event reports.
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 73,430 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2002–2025.
Total Reports
73,430
Death-Related Reports
4,867
Hospitalization Reports
26,975
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE | 4,661 |
| 2 | ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 4,200 |
| 3 | DIARRHOEA | 4,082 |
| 4 | DRUG HYPERSENSITIVITY | 3,744 |
| 5 | NAUSEA | 3,700 |
| 6 | DYSPNOEA | 3,623 |
| 7 | PAIN | 3,571 |
| 8 | RASH | 3,539 |
| 9 | FATIGUE | 3,270 |
| 10 | RENAL FAILURE | 3,043 |
| 11 | DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 2,982 |
| 12 | OFF LABEL USE | 2,906 |
| 13 | VOMITING | 2,874 |
| 14 | HEADACHE | 2,805 |
| 15 | PRURITUS | 2,802 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
This medicine can cause serious allergic reactions, including fatal ones. Stop taking it and get medical help right away if you have any signs of an allergic reaction. This medicine can also cause severe skin reactions. Tell your doctor if you develop a rash. It can also cause liver problems and severe diarrhea.
Known Drug Interactions
Combination Therapy with Clarithromycin and Amoxicillin Clinical Impact: Concomitant administration of clarithromycin with other drugs can lead to serious adverse reactions, including potentially fatal arrhythmias, and are contraindicated. Amoxicillin also has drug interactions. See Drug Interactions in prescribing information for amoxicillin.
Mechanism: Using these drugs together as part of a treatment plan can increase the risk of side effects or change how other medicines work.
What to do: Check with your doctor to make sure this combination is safe with your other medications.
Combination Therapy with Clarithromycin and Amoxicillin Clinical Impact: Concomitant administration of clarithromycin with other drugs can lead to serious adverse reactions, including potentially fatal arrhythmias, and are contraindicated. Amoxicillin also has drug interactions. See Drug Interactions in prescribing information for amoxicillin.
Mechanism: Rabeprazole changes the acid levels in your stomach, which can affect how the antibiotic amoxicillin is absorbed and used by your body.
What to do: Consult your healthcare provider to ensure these medications are taken correctly for your specific treatment plan.
albuterol, systemic and inhaled mebendazole amoxicillin medroxyprogesterone ampicillin, with or without sulbactam methylprednisolone atenolol metronidazole azithromycin metoprolol caffeine, dietary ingestion nadolol cefaclor nifedipine co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole) nizatidine diltiazem norfloxacin dirithromycin ofloxacin enflurane omeprazole famotidine prednisone, prednisolone felodipine ranitidine finasteride rifabutin hydrocortisone roxithromycin isoflurane Sorbitol (purgative doses do not inhibit theophylline absorption) isoniazid sucralfate isradipine terbutaline, s...
Mechanism: Amoxicillin does not change the way your body processes or removes theophylline.
What to do: No special changes to your medication are usually needed when taking these together.
( 7.1 ) Concomitant use of Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Potassium and oral anticoagulants may increase the prolongation of prothrombin time.( 7.2 ) Co-administration with allopurinol increases the risk of rash. 7.3 Allopurinol The concurrent administration of allopurinol and amoxicillin increases the incidence of rashes in patients receiving both drugs as compared to patients receiving amoxicillin alone. It is not known whether this potentiation of amoxicillin rashes is due to allopurinol or the hyperuricemia present in these patients.
Mechanism: Taking these two medicines at the same time increases the chance that you will develop a skin rash. It is not fully known if the drugs themselves or the high uric acid levels in the body cause this reaction.
What to do: Watch for any signs of a skin rash and contact your healthcare provider immediately if one appears.
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Co‑administration with probenecid is not recommended. ( 7.4 ) 7.1 Probenecid Probenecid decreases the renal tubular secretion of amoxicillin but does not delay renal excretion of clavulanic acid. Co-administration of probenecid is not recommended.
Mechanism: Probenecid blocks the kidneys from removing amoxicillin from the blood. This causes the antibiotic to stay in your body longer and reach higher levels than normal.
What to do: This combination is not recommended, and you should talk to your doctor about using a different treatment plan.
Common Questions
Can I take this medicine if I am allergic to penicillin?
Can this medicine affect my birth control?
What should I do if I get diarrhea while taking this medicine?
Can I take this medicine with other medications?
How long should I take this medicine?
Can I drink alcohol while taking this medicine?
What if I feel sick to my stomach when I take this?
Is it okay to share this medicine with someone else?
What do I do with leftover medicine?
Can this medicine cause a rash?
What are the common side effects of amoxicillin?
Does amoxicillin interact with other medications?
What drug class is amoxicillin?
Is amoxicillin safe during pregnancy?
Has amoxicillin been recalled?
Active Recalls
Subpotent drug; Clavulanate Potassium component
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc
Related Medications in Penicillin Antibiotic
Other drugs grouped near amoxicillin — same-class peers and common alternatives.
amikacin
Amikin
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amoxicillin/clavulanate
Augmentin
Augmentin is a combination of two medicines, amoxicillin and clavulanate.
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ampicillin/sulbactam
Unasyn
Unasyn is a combination of two antibiotics that fights bacteria in your body.
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azithromycin
Zithromax, Z-Pack
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cefazolin
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What the FDA Data Shows for amoxicillin
The FDA label for amoxicillin (sold under brand names such as Amoxil) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Penicillin Antibiotic class. This medicine treats infections like lower respiratory infections, ear infections (otitis media), sinus infections, skin infections, and urinary tract infections. Official labeling lists 6 commonly reported side effects, including Diarrhea or loose stools, Nausea, Skin rashes.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 37,433 voluntary reports. The database also lists 12 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated major severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.02.
Report counts do not establish causation — a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice — always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: April 30, 2024
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book — approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed — NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) — post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm — standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files — federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database — current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages