Prescription medication · Topical Antibiotic
mupirocin
Also sold as Bactroban. Mupirocin cream treats skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 12,758
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- $0.74
- Generic price (NADAC)
mupirocin (Bactroban) is a prescription Topical Antibiotic. Mupirocin cream treats skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria.
Mupirocin cream is a topical antibiotic. It is used to treat skin infections caused by certain bacteria.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.74/unit
Generic Available
Yes (10 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Mupirocin cream treats skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria.
Common side effects
Headache, Rash, Nausea
Key warnings
Rarely, severe allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, hives, swelling, and widespread rash.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from mupirocin's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Mupirocin stops bacteria from growing. It does this by blocking the bacteria's ability to make proteins. This helps to clear up the infection.
How to Take It
This cream is for external use only. Apply a small amount to the infected area using a cotton swab or gauze pad. Do this 3 times a day for 10 days. You can cover the treated area with gauze if you want. If your skin doesn't improve within 3 to 5 days, contact your doctor.
This is a plain-language summary of mupirocin's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
It is not known if mupirocin cream will harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is also not known if mupirocin passes into breast milk, but it is not expected to be harmful.
This is a plain-language summary of mupirocin's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
Apply the missed dose as soon as you remember. Then, continue with your regular schedule.
This is a plain-language summary of mupirocin's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Store at room temperature between 68° to 77°F. Do not freeze.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 12,758 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for mupirocin, by number of reports
- Feeling sick to your stomach
Feeling sick to your stomach
882 reports
- Discomfort
Discomfort
877 reports
- Feeling tired
Feeling tired
765 reports
- Eye problem causing vision loss
Eye problem causing vision loss
750 reports
- Pain in your head
Pain in your head
712 reports
- Loose, watery stools
Loose, watery stools
648 reports
- Long-term kidney problems
Long-term kidney problems
578 reports
- Skin irritation
Skin irritation
562 reports
- Loss of weight
Loss of weight
549 reports
- Fever
Fever
526 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 mupirocin 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 mupirocin sits
mupirocin has more FDA adverse-event reports than 44% 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 mupirocin; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 12,758 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
12,758
Reports Mentioning Death
895
7.0% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
3,409
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | NAUSEA | 882 |
| 4 | PAIN | 877 |
| 6 | FATIGUE | 765 |
| 7 | MACULAR DEGENERATION | 750 |
| 8 | HEADACHE | 712 |
| 9 | DIARRHOEA | 648 |
| 10 | CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE | 578 |
| 11 | RASH | 562 |
| 12 | WEIGHT DECREASED | 549 |
| 13 | PYREXIA | 526 |
| 14 | PRURITUS | 521 |
| 15 | MALAISE | 500 |
| 16 | DYSPNOEA | 497 |
| 17 | RENAL FAILURE | 453 |
| 18 | PNEUMONIA | 435 |
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
Rarely, severe allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, hives, swelling, and widespread rash. If you have diarrhea while using this medicine, tell your doctor right away. Long-term use may lead to new infections.
Common Questions
Can I use this cream inside my nose?
What should I do if the cream gets in my eyes?
Can I use other creams or lotions at the same time?
What if my skin gets irritated?
How long should I use this cream?
What if I accidentally swallow some of the cream?
Can I use this cream on a large area of skin?
What if I don't see any improvement after a few days?
Can I buy this cream over the counter?
What are the ingredients in this cream?
What are the common side effects of mupirocin?
What drug class is mupirocin?
Is mupirocin safe during pregnancy?
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What the FDA Data Shows for mupirocin
The FDA label for mupirocin (sold under brand names such as Bactroban) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Topical Antibiotic class. Mupirocin cream treats skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria. Official labeling lists 3 commonly reported side effects, including Headache, Rash, Nausea.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 12,758 voluntary reports. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.74.
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 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: March 18, 2025
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 and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
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