Prescription medicine
Penicillin v
Penicillin v is a prescription medicine. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 17 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $0.0985 per penicillin vk 500 mg tablet in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the penicillin v FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 25, 2024, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.); every penicillin v label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of June 25, 2024; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagePenicillin V Potassium Tablets are indicated in the treatment of mild to moderately severe infections due to penicillin G-sensitive microorganisms.
Forms and strengths
- 250 mg
- 500 mg
- 125 mg/5ml
- 250 mg/5ml
Film-coated tablet; powder for solution; tablet.
On the market
- Generic approvals
- 20 first January 13, 1958; 6 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 17 of which 17 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.0985 per tablet Penicillin vk 500 mg tablet
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 4 since 2017 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest December 16, 2021
- FAERS reports
- 2,540 through July 30, 2026
What is penicillin v used for?
From the label: indications and usagePenicillin V Potassium Tablets are indicated in the treatment of mild to moderately severe infections due to penicillin G-sensitive microorganisms. Therapy should be guided by bacteriological studies (including sensitivity tests) and by clinical response. NOTE: Severe pneumonia, empyema, bacteremia, pericarditis, meningitis, and arthritis should not be treated with penicillin V during the acute stage. Indicated surgical procedures should be performed. The following infections will usually respond to adequate dosage of penicillin V. Streptococcal Infections (without bacteremia) Mild-to-moderate infections of the upper respiratory tract, scarlet fever, and mild erysipelas. […]
FDA pharmacologic class: Penicillin-class Antibacterial.
Source: FDA drug label (Penicillin V Potassium), Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., effective June 25, 2024 (SPL set dc33f7a4-348b-4b4c-a5f2-c4f908fda4aa), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for penicillin v?
The FDA approved the first generic penicillin v on January 13, 1958. 20 generic applications are approved; 6 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 penicillin v from 17 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.
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for penicillin v?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.0985 per Penicillin vk 500 mg tablet, down 3% from $0.102 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.
- Penicillin vk 500 mg tablet (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penicillin vk 125 mg/5 mL solution | Generic | $0.0638 per mL | n/a | +10% |
| Penicillin vk 250 mg tablet | Generic | $0.0608 per tablet | $1.82 | -14% |
| Penicillin vk 250 mg/5 mL solution | Generic | $0.0516 per mL | n/a | -11% |
| Penicillin vk 500 mg tablet | Generic | $0.0985 per tablet | $2.95 | -3% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has penicillin v been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 4 recalls naming penicillin v since 2017: 0 Class I (the most serious), 2 Class II, 2 Class III; 0 still ongoing. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.
| Started | Class | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 16, 2021 | Class II | Teva Pharmaceuticals USA | Subpotent |
| March 15, 2021 | Class II | Cardinal Health Inc. | CGMP Deviations: Intermittent exposure to temperature excursion during storage. |
| November 28, 2017 | Class III | Teva Pharmaceuticals USA | Failed Impurities/Degradation Specifications: high out of specification test results obtained for individual and total impurities. |
| February 24, 2017 | Class III | Citron Pharma Llc | Presence of Foreign Tablet/Capsule; Amoxicillin 500 mg was found in bottles of Penicillin V potassium 500 mg |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the penicillin v label say about other medicines?
The penicillin v label names 1 other medicine in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. 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 ANAPHYLACTIC REACTIONS REQUIRE IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY TREATMENT WITH EPINEPHRINE. |
Source: FDA drug label (Penicillin V Potassium), Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., effective June 25, 2024 (SPL set dc33f7a4-348b-4b4c-a5f2-c4f908fda4aa), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for penicillin v?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 2,540 reports that list penicillin v among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 189 are coded as a death and 656 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
What next?
- Other penicillins
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Penicillin v side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other