Prescription medication · Carbapenem Antibiotic
meropenem
Also sold as Merrem. Meropenem treats complicated skin infections in adults and kids 3 months and older.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 30,400
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 3
- InteractionsFew interactions
- $6.84
- Generic price (NADAC)
What the data shows
meropenem (Merrem) is a prescription Carbapenem Antibiotic, reported at a middle-of-the-pack volume (30,400 FDA reports), with 3 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
meropenem (Merrem) is a prescription Carbapenem Antibiotic. Meropenem treats complicated skin infections in adults and kids 3 months and older.
Meropenem is an antibiotic medicine. It fights bacteria in your body to treat different kinds of infections.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$6.84/unit
Generic Available
Yes (9 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Meropenem treats complicated skin infections in adults and kids 3 months and older.
Common side effects
Headache, Nausea, Constipation
Key warnings
You should not take this medicine if you are allergic to meropenem or similar antibiotics.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from meropenem's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Meropenem belongs to a class of drugs called carbapenem antibiotics. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria. This helps your body fight off the infection.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 30,400 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for meropenem, by number of reports
- Pyrexia
Pyrexia
2,089 reports
- Pneumonia
Pneumonia
1,433 reports
- Sepsis
Sepsis
1,363 reports
- Septic Shock
Septic Shock
1,353 reports
- Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome
Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome
1,220 reports
- Acute Kidney Injury
Acute Kidney Injury
1,212 reports
- Condition Aggravated
Condition Aggravated
1,145 reports
- Respiratory Failure
Respiratory Failure
1,084 reports
- Thrombocytopenia
Thrombocytopenia
1,075 reports
- Febrile Neutropenia
Febrile Neutropenia
1,072 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for meropenem each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where meropenem sits
meropenem has more FDA adverse-event reports than 64% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is meropenem; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 30,400 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 1999–2025.
Total Reports
30,400
Reports Mentioning Death
9,111
30.0% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
16,201
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | PYREXIA | 2,089 |
| 4 | PNEUMONIA | 1,433 |
| 5 | SEPSIS | 1,363 |
| 6 | SEPTIC SHOCK | 1,353 |
| 7 | MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME | 1,220 |
| 8 | ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 1,212 |
| 9 | CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 1,145 |
| 10 | RESPIRATORY FAILURE | 1,084 |
| 11 | THROMBOCYTOPENIA | 1,075 |
| 12 | FEBRILE NEUTROPENIA | 1,072 |
| 13 | DIARRHOEA | 1,067 |
| 14 | DRUG INTERACTION | 915 |
| 15 | NEUTROPENIA | 883 |
| 16 | ANAEMIA | 849 |
| 17 | HYPOTENSION | 820 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
You should not take this medicine if you are allergic to meropenem or similar antibiotics. This drug may cause serious allergic reactions, including trouble breathing. Meropenem can also cause seizures, especially if you have kidney problems or a history of seizures. Diarrhea can occur, and could be a sign of a serious infection in your colon.
Known Drug Interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Co-administration of Meropenem for Injection, USP with probenecid inhibits renal excretion of meropenem and is therefore not recommended. ( 5.4 , 7.2 ) 7.1 Probenecid Probenecid competes with meropenem for active tubular secretion, resulting in increased plasma concentrations of meropenem. Co-administration of probenecid with meropenem is not recommended.
Mechanism: Probenecid blocks the kidneys from clearing meropenem out of your system. This leads to higher levels of meropenem in your blood than intended.
( 7.4 , 12.3 ) 7.1 Valproic Acid Case reports in the literature have shown that co-administration of carbapenems, including meropenem, to patients receiving valproic acid or divalproex sodium results in a reduction in valproic acid concentrations. 7.2 Probenecid Probenecid competes with meropenem for active tubular secretion, resulting in increased plasma concentrations of meropenem.
Mechanism: Meropenem can significantly lower the amount of seizure medication in your blood, which increases the risk of having a seizure.
Carbapenem Antibiotics A clinically significant reduction in serum valproic acid concentration has been reported in patients receiving carbapenem antibiotics (for example, ertapenem, imipenem, meropenem this is not a complete list) and may result in loss of seizure control.
Mechanism: Meropenem can significantly lower the amount of valproate in your blood. This can make the valproate stop working and may lead to a breakthrough seizure.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
What should I tell my doctor before taking meropenem?
Can meropenem interact with other medications?
What are the symptoms of an allergic reaction?
Can meropenem cause diarrhea?
How will I receive meropenem?
What if my symptoms don't improve?
Can I drink alcohol while taking meropenem?
Will meropenem affect my ability to drive or operate machinery?
How long will I need to take meropenem?
What if I have kidney problems?
What are the common side effects of meropenem?
Does meropenem interact with other medications?
What drug class is meropenem?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for meropenem?
Related Medications in Carbapenem Antibiotic
Other drugs grouped near meropenem - same-class peers and common alternatives.
amikacin
Amikin
Amikacin is an antibiotic medicine.
Compare with meropenem →
amoxicillin
Amoxil
Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Potassium is a combination medicine used to fight bacterial infections.
Compare with meropenem →
amoxicillin/clavulanate
Augmentin
Augmentin is a combination of two medicines, amoxicillin and clavulanate.
Compare with meropenem →
ampicillin/sulbactam
Unasyn
Unasyn is a combination of two antibiotics that fights bacteria in your body.
Compare with meropenem →
azithromycin
Zithromax, Z-Pack
Azithromycin is an antibiotic that fights bacteria.
Compare with meropenem →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for meropenem: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 30,400.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 29.97%.
- voriconazole Δ 0.45 pts · 29,380 reports · Azole Antifungal 29.52%death share
- rifaximin Δ 0.53 pts · 19,891 reports · Non-Systemic Antibiotic (IBS-D) 29.44%death share
- hydromorphone Δ 0.74 pts · 90,652 reports · Opioid Analgesic 30.71%death share
- ganciclovir Δ 0.75 pts · 9,877 reports · Antiviral (Nucleoside Analog) 30.72%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
Save on meropenem
Compare prices and find discounts at pharmacies near you. Free coupons can save up to 80% on prescriptions.
Disclosure: This link may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. See our terms.
What the FDA Data Shows for meropenem
The FDA label for meropenem (sold under brand names such as Merrem) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Carbapenem Antibiotic class. Meropenem treats complicated skin infections in adults and kids 3 months and older. Official labeling lists 8 commonly reported side effects, including Headache, Nausea, Constipation.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 30,400 voluntary reports. The database also lists 3 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $6.84.
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). 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. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: July 10, 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