Clarithromycin and Pimozide Interaction

Drug interaction information between Clarithromycin and Pimozide.

Clarithromycin and Pimozide have a documented major interaction in FDA labeling.

FDA drug labeling documents a major-severity interaction between Clarithromycin and Pimozide. This page displays the available source-record category and label text. The category is not an individual risk estimate or medication-combination direction.

Drug A

Clarithromycin

Macrolide Antibiotic

Drug B

Pimozide

Typical Antipsychotic

How They Interact

Clarithromycin prevents the breakdown of pimozide, which can cause the drug to reach dangerous levels and potentially affect your heart rhythm.

FDA Label Information

Colchicine (in patients with normal renal and hepatic function) Use With Caution Antipsychotics: Pimozide Contraindicated Pimozide: [See Contraindications ( 4.2 )] Quetiapine Lurasidone Quetiapine: Quetiapine is a substrate for CYP3A4, which is inhibited by clarithromycin.

Frequently Asked Questions

What SPL severity band is on file for Clarithromycin + Pimozide?

Compiled FDA labeling labels this pair major. That is a source-record field, not an individual medication-combination decision.

Which drug in this pair has the larger labeled-interaction portfolio?

Clarithromycin has 81 labeled pairs on file vs Pimozide's 24. In the major band specifically: Clarithromycin has 16 (also Quetiapine, Pioglitazone, Fluconazole, Cyclosporine); Pimozide has 12 (also Aprepitant, Citalopram, Darunavir, Escitalopram).

What mechanism field is on file for Clarithromycin and Pimozide?

Clarithromycin prevents the breakdown of pimozide, which can cause the drug to reach dangerous levels and potentially affect your heart rhythm.

Clarithromycin carries more major-labeled pairs than Pimozide

SPL source-record counts only. This page's band is major · classes on file: Clarithromycin (Macrolide Antibiotic); Pimozide (Typical Antipsychotic).

Clarithromycin has 16 major-labeled pairs vs Pimozide's 12.

Clarithromycin

16 major · 35 moderate · 30 minor · 81 total

Pimozide

12 major · 0 moderate · 12 minor · 24 total

Sources: FDA Drug Labels (SPL) via openFDA (2026). This is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. This registry does not provide individual medication-combination directions.