Prescription medicine
Cefazolin First approved as Ancef
Cefazolin (Ancef) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1973. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 15 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $1.07 per cefazolin 1 g vial in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the cefazolin FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 14, 2026, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.); the NDA 50461 record on Drugs@FDA; every cefazolin label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of May 14, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageCefazolin for Injection, USP is indicated in the treatment of the following serious infections due to susceptible organisms: Respiratory Tract Infections: Due to S.
Forms and strengths
- 1 g
- 2 g
- 3 g
- 10 g
- 20 g
- 100 g
- 300 g
- 500 mg
- 1 g/50ml
- 1 g/3ml
- 2 g/50ml
- 2 g/100ml
Injection (powder) for solution; powder for solution; injection (solution); solution; injection (powder) (lyophilized) for solution.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- October 4, 1973 Ancef, Glaxosmithkline; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 32 first November 2, 1973; 8 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 17 of which 15 under generic applications, 5 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $1.07 per vial Cefazolin 1 g vial
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 10 since 2013 4 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest July 24, 2026; 5 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 11,982 through July 30, 2026
What is cefazolin used for?
From the label: indications and usageCefazolin for Injection, USP is indicated in the treatment of the following serious infections due to susceptible organisms: Respiratory Tract Infections: Due to S. pneumoniae, Klebsiella species, H. influenzae, S. aureus (penicillin-sensitive and penicillin-resistant), and group A beta-hemolytic streptococci. Injectable benzathine penicillin is considered to be the drug of choice in treatment and prevention of streptococcal infections, including the prophylaxis of rheumatic fever. […]
Conditions named in the indications of cefazolin's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other cefazolin labelsUrinary tract infections: Urinary Tract Infections:
FDA pharmacologic class: Cephalosporin Antibacterial.
Source: FDA drug label (Cefazolin), Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., effective May 14, 2026 (SPL set 1dc9de56-e259-4546-a1db-23119a8a088e), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for cefazolin (Ancef)?
The FDA approved the first generic cefazolin on November 2, 1973. 32 generic applications are approved; 8 of them carry a current (not discontinued) marketing status in Drugs@FDA; that status is not evidence that the generic is on sale.
FDA's NDC Directory lists cefazolin from 15 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application and from 5 brand labelers. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
- 1973 earliest approval on file
- 1973 first generic approved
- red ticks recalls
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for cefazolin (Ancef)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $1.07 per Cefazolin 1 g vial, up 10% from $0.971 on October 8, 2025. The chart's scale runs from the lowest to the highest price shown, not from zero. NADAC is what retail pharmacies paid their wholesalers, per unit, in CMS's monthly survey; what a patient pays depends on insurance and the pharmacy.
- Cefazolin 1 g vial (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cefazolin 1 g vial | Generic | $1.07 per vial | n/a | +10% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has cefazolin been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 15 recalls naming cefazolin since 2013: 4 Class I (the most serious), 11 Class II, 0 Class III; 2 still ongoing. 5 of them are by firms that FDA's NDC Directory does not list as a maker of cefazolin and that hold no application for it in Drugs@FDA, such as compounding pharmacies or bulk-ingredient suppliers; the recall notice names the product recalled. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.
| Started | Class | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 24, 2026 | Class I | Baxter Healthcare Corporation | Presence of Particulate Matter |
| June 27, 2025 | Class I | Sandoz Inc | Labeling: Label Mix-Up; cartons of Cefazolin for Injection, USP 1 gram were found to contain vials labeled as penicillin G potassium for Injection, USP, 20 … |
| December 27, 2022 | Class II | Sentara Infusion Services not a listed maker | Lack of sterility assurance |
| April 13, 2022 | Class II | Mckesson Medical-Surgical Inc. Corporate Office | cGMP deviations: Temperature abuse |
| September 17, 2021 | Class II | IntegraDose Compounding Services LLC not a listed maker | Lack of sterility assurance. |
| March 15, 2021 | Class II | Cardinal Health Inc. | CGMP Deviations: Intermittent exposure to temperature excursion during storage. |
| July 14, 2017 | Class II | SCA Pharmaceuticals | Lack of Assurance of Sterility: Product made with recalled 0.9% sodium chloride bags which have the potential to leak. |
| February 12, 2016 | Class II | Walter's Pharmacy not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the cefazolin label say about other medicines?
The cefazolin label names 2 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 3 other medicines name cefazolin. The sentences are the labels' own; a label lists what its studies and reports found, not every interaction.
| Medicine named | Section | What the label says |
|---|---|---|
| Epinephrine | warnings | SERIOUS ACUTE HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS MAY REQUIRE TREATMENT WITH EPINEPHRINE AND OTHER EMERGENCY MEASURES, INCLUDING OXYGEN, IV FLUIDS, IV ANTIHISTAMINES, CORTICOSTEROIDS, PRESSOR AMINES, AND AIRWAY MANAGEMENT, AS CLINICALLY INDICATED. |
| Probenecid | drug interactions | Drug Interactions Probenecid may decrease renal tubular secretion of cephalosporins when used concurrently, resulting in increased and more prolonged cephalosporin blood levels. |
Other labels that name cefazolin
Source: FDA drug label (Cefazolin), Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., effective May 14, 2026 (SPL set 1dc9de56-e259-4546-a1db-23119a8a088e), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for cefazolin?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 11,982 reports that list cefazolin among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 1,387 are coded as a death and 6,057 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is.
Reports received each year
The most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026
How does cefazolin compare with medicines for the same use?
5 side-by-side pages set cefazolin beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Other cephalosporins
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Cefazolin side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other