What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Clarithromycin and rifabutin
Clarithromycin's FDA label of April 9, 2026 names rifabutin in its drug interactions section, and rifabutin's label names clarithromycin too. The rifabutin label: “This effect may reduce the efficacy of standard doses of such drugs, which include itraconazole, clarithromycin, and saquinavir.”
Check it at the source: the clarithromycin FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 9, 2026, Solaris Pharma Corporation); the rifabutin FDA label on DailyMed (effective September 1, 2026, REMEDYREPACK INC.).
What does the clarithromycin label say about rifabutin?
Clarithromycin label, drug interactionsRifabutin; Use With Caution; Rifabutin: Concomitant administration of rifabutin and clarithromycin resulted in an increase in rifabutin, and decrease in clarithromycin serum levels together with an increased risk of uveitis (see in the table below).
Source: FDA drug label (Clarithromycin), Solaris Pharma Corporation, effective April 9, 2026 (SPL set 4d42821d-ce7a-7d64-e063-6294a90a0875), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the rifabutin label say about clarithromycin?
Rifabutin label, drug interactionsThis effect may reduce the efficacy of standard doses of such drugs, which include itraconazole, clarithromycin, and saquinavir.
Rifabutin label, warningsMAC Treatment with Clarithromycin When rifabutin is used concomitantly with clarithromycin for MAC treatment, a decreased dose of rifabutin is recommended due to the increase in plasma concentrations of rifabutin (see PRECAUTIONS-Drug Interactions, Table 2 ).
Source: FDA drug label (Rifabutin), NDA050689 (Pfizer), as published by REMEDYREPACK INC., effective September 1, 2026 (SPL set 25a60937-cbbe-4a50-994f-2ce15203f589), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
These are the labels' own sentences. PlainMeds does not grade interactions; a pharmacist or prescriber can say what they mean for one person's medicines.
Both medicines on the record
| Clarithromycin | Rifabutin | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Bacterial infections, Acid reflux and ulcers | n/a |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.466 per tablet 500 mg tablet | $8.14 per capsule 150 mg capsule |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
Source: FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026 and the FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Check more medicines together
- up to five at once