Prescription medication · Topical Antibiotic
erythromycin topical
Also sold as Erygel. This medicine treats acne vulgaris, a common skin condition.
Data updated 2026-05-15
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erythromycin topical (Erygel) is a prescription Topical Antibiotic. This medicine treats acne vulgaris, a common skin condition.
Erythromycin topical solution is a medicine that you put on your skin to treat acne. It contains an antibiotic to help clear up acne.
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What it does
This medicine treats acne vulgaris, a common skin condition.
Common side effects
Peeling skin, Dry skin, Itching
Key warnings
You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to any of its ingredients.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from erythromycin topical's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria that cause acne. This helps to reduce inflammation and clear up your skin.
Serious Warnings
You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to any of its ingredients.
Common Questions
What is erythromycin topical solution used for?
How often should I apply this medicine?
Can I use this if I'm allergic to antibiotics?
What should I do if my skin becomes too dry?
Can I use this on any part of my body?
Do I need a prescription for this medicine?
What should I do if I get this in my eyes?
Can I use other acne treatments with this?
How long will it take to see results?
What are the ingredients in this medicine?
What are the common side effects of erythromycin topical?
What drug class is erythromycin topical?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for erythromycin topical?
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What the FDA Data Shows for erythromycin topical
The FDA label for erythromycin topical (sold under brand names such as Erygel) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Topical Antibiotic class. This medicine treats acne vulgaris, a common skin condition. Official labeling lists 5 commonly reported side effects, including Peeling skin, Dry skin, Itching.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. Voluntary reports accumulate over the lifetime of a drug and reflect wide-ranging clinical use. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. Acquisition-cost data is surveyed weekly by CMS and updated as manufacturers report changes.
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, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: August 14, 2024
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
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