Prescription medicine
Dicloxacillin First approved as Pathocil
Dicloxacillin (Pathocil) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1968. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 6 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $0.590 per dicloxacillin 250 mg capsule in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the dicloxacillin FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 27, 2023, Aurobindo Pharma Limited); the NDA 50092 record on Drugs@FDA; every dicloxacillin label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of December 27, 2023; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageTo reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of dicloxacillin sodium capsules and other antibacterial drugs, dicloxacillin sodium capsules should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria.
Forms and strengths
- 250 mg
- 500 mg
Capsule.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- April 22, 1968 Pathocil, Wyeth Ayerst; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 5 first April 1, 1971; 2 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 6 of which 6 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.590 per capsule Dicloxacillin 250 mg capsule
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 2 since 2016 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest May 2, 2016
- FAERS reports
- 195 through July 30, 2026
What is dicloxacillin used for?
From the label: indications and usageTo reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of dicloxacillin sodium capsules and other antibacterial drugs, dicloxacillin sodium capsules should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria. When culture and susceptibility information are available, they should be considered in selecting or modifying antibacterial therapy. In the absence of such data, local epidemiology and susceptibility patterns may contribute to the empiric selection of therapy. […]
FDA pharmacologic class: Penicillin-class Antibacterial.
Source: FDA drug label (DICLOXACILLIN SODIUM), Aurobindo Pharma Limited, effective December 27, 2023 (SPL set 9074b5a6-850c-4144-9097-bb21073ee54d), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for dicloxacillin (Pathocil)?
The FDA approved the first generic dicloxacillin on April 1, 1971. 5 generic applications are approved; 2 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 dicloxacillin from 6 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
- 1968 earliest approval on file
- 1971 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 dicloxacillin (Pathocil)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.590 per Dicloxacillin 250 mg capsule, down 3% from $0.607 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.
- Dicloxacillin 250 mg capsule (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dicloxacillin 250 mg capsule | Generic | $0.590 per capsule | $17.71 | -3% |
| Dicloxacillin 500 mg capsule | Generic | $0.927 per capsule | $27.82 | -8% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has dicloxacillin been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 2 recalls naming dicloxacillin since 2016: 0 Class I (the most serious), 0 Class II, 2 Class III; 0 still ongoing. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.
| Started | Class | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 2016 | Class III | Sandoz, Inc | Failed Impurities/Degradation Specifications:Out of specification result for a known impurity obtained during testing. |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the dicloxacillin label say about other medicines?
The dicloxacillin label names 3 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 1 other medicine name dicloxacillin. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Probenecid | drug interactions | Probenecid administered concomitantly with penicillins increases and prolongs serum penicillin levels (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ). |
| Tetracycline | drug interactions | Drug Interactions Tetracycline, a bacteriostatic antibiotic, may antagonize the bactericidal effect of penicillin and concurrent use of these drugs should be avoided. |
| Warfarin | drug interactions | Dicloxacillin may reduce the anticoagulant response to dicumarol and warfarin. |
Other labels that name dicloxacillin
Source: FDA drug label (DICLOXACILLIN SODIUM), Aurobindo Pharma Limited, effective December 27, 2023 (SPL set 9074b5a6-850c-4144-9097-bb21073ee54d), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for dicloxacillin?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 195 reports that list dicloxacillin among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 31 are coded as a death and 82 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.
The most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026
What next?
- Other penicillins
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Dicloxacillin side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other