Prescription medicine
Ceftazidime Brand names: Tazicef; first approved as Fortaz
Ceftazidime (Fortaz) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1985. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 3 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $3.70 per ceftazidime 1 g vial in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
- A presentation discontinued
Check it at the source: the ceftazidime FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 4, 2026, Hospira, Inc.); the NDA 50578 record on Drugs@FDA; every ceftazidime label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of May 4, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageTazicef (ceftazidime for injection) is indicated for the treatment of patients with infections caused by susceptible strains of the designated organisms in the following diseases: 1.
Forms and strengths
- 1 g
- 2 g
- 6 g
- 6 g/30ml
Injection (powder) for solution.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- July 19, 1985 Fortaz, Pai Holdings Pharm; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 9 first November 20, 1985; 3 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 3 of which 3 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $3.70 per vial Ceftazidime 1 g vial
- Shortage (FDA)
- None current 2 past records
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 1 since 2012 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest December 6, 2021; 4 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 7,635 through July 30, 2026
What is ceftazidime used for?
From the label: indications and usageTazicef (ceftazidime for injection) is indicated for the treatment of patients with infections caused by susceptible strains of the designated organisms in the following diseases: 1. Lower Respiratory Tract Infections, including pneumonia, caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other Pseudomonas spp.; Haemophilus influenzae, including ampicillin-resistant strains; Klebsiella spp.; Enterobacter spp.; Proteus mirabilis; Escherichia coli; Serratia spp.; Citrobacter spp.; Streptococcus pneumoniae; and Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin-susceptible strains). 2. Skin and Skin-Structure Infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Klebsiella spp.; Escherichia coli; […]
Conditions named in the indications of ceftazidime's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other ceftazidime labelsBacterial infections: INDICATIONS AND USAGE Tazicef (ceftazidime for injection) is indicated for the treatment of patients with infections caused by susceptible strains of the designated organisms in the following diseases:
FDA pharmacologic class: Cephalosporin Antibacterial.
Source: FDA drug label (TAZICEF), Hospira, Inc., effective May 4, 2026 (SPL set 40d48c5d-650e-461b-a67b-7e65772d1b92), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for ceftazidime (Fortaz)?
The FDA approved the first generic ceftazidime on November 20, 1985. 9 generic applications are approved; 3 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 ceftazidime from 3 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.
- 1985 earliest approval on file
- 1985 first generic approved
- red ticks recalls
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for ceftazidime (Fortaz)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $3.70 per Ceftazidime 1 g vial, down 4% from $3.86 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.
- Ceftazidime 1 g vial (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceftazidime 1 g vial | Generic | $3.70 per vial | n/a | -4% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Is ceftazidime in shortage?
No ceftazidime presentation is listed as in shortage in the FDA Drug Shortage Database (read October 8, 2026); its 2 records are all marked to be discontinued, the latest updated November 14, 2025. ASHP keeps a separate shortage list, which can differ.
| Presentation | Company | Status | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tazicef, Injection, 1 g (NDC 0409-5092-16) | Hospira, Inc., a Pfizer Company | To Be Discontinued | November 14, 2025 |
| Tazicef, Injection, 2 g (NDC 0409-5093-11) | Hospira, Inc., a Pfizer Company | To Be Discontinued | November 14, 2025 |
Source: FDA Drug Shortage Database via openFDA, updated October 8, 2026
Has ceftazidime been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 5 recalls naming ceftazidime since 2012: 0 Class I (the most serious), 5 Class II, 0 Class III; 0 still ongoing. 4 of them are by firms that FDA's NDC Directory does not list as a maker of ceftazidime and that hold no application for it in Drugs@FDA, such as compounding pharmacies or bulk-ingredient suppliers; the recall notice names the product recalled. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.
| Started | Class | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 6, 2021 | Class II | Edge Pharma, LLC | Lack of Assurance of Sterility |
| September 21, 2016 | Class II | Wells Pharmacy Network LLC not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility |
| October 6, 2014 | Class II | Oregon Compounding Centers, Inc. dba Creative Compounds not a listed maker | Lack of Sterility Assurance: All lots of sterile products compounded by the pharmacy that are not expired due to concerns associated with quality control … |
| October 19, 2013 | Class II | Specialty Medicine Compounding Pharmacy not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility: All unexpired sterile compounded human and veterinary products are being recalled because they were compounded in the same … |
| May 25, 2012 | Class II | Franck's Lab Inc., d.b.a. Franck's Compounding Lab not a listed maker | Lack of Assurance of Sterility: Franck's Lab Inc. initiated a recall of all Sterile Human Drugs distributed between 11/21/2011 and 05/21/2012 because FDA … |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the ceftazidime label say about other medicines?
The ceftazidime label names 3 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 1 other medicine name ceftazidime. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Chloramphenicol | drug interactions | Chloramphenicol has been shown to be antagonistic to beta-lactam antibacterial drugs, including ceftazidime, based on in vitro studies and time kill curves with enteric gram-negative bacilli. |
| Epinephrine | warnings | SERIOUS ACUTE HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS MAY REQUIRE TREATMENT WITH EPINEPHRINE AND OTHER EMERGENCY MEASURES, INCLUDING OXYGEN, IV FLUIDS, IV ANTIHISTAMINES, CORTICOSTEROIDS, PRESSOR AMINES, AND AIRWAY MANAGEMENT, AS CLINICALLY INDICATED. |
| Furosemide | drug interactions | Drug Interactions Nephrotoxicity has been reported following concomitant administration of cephalosporins with aminoglycoside antibacterial drugs or potent diuretics such as furosemide. |
Source: FDA drug label (TAZICEF), Hospira, Inc., effective May 4, 2026 (SPL set 40d48c5d-650e-461b-a67b-7e65772d1b92), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for ceftazidime?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 7,635 reports that list ceftazidime among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 1,731 are coded as a death and 3,824 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 else is labeled for the same conditions as ceftazidime?
21 other medicines are given the same way (intravenous) and in the same FDA class as ceftazidime or labeled mainly for the same use (bacterial infections), the same class first. Bacterial infections lists all 51 medicines labeled for it, by any route. The first 8 are below. They are listed as records, not as substitutes: whether one can replace another is a prescriber's decision.
| Medicine | Shared indication | Generic labelers (intravenous) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cefoxitin | Bacterial infections | 5 labelers | n/a | No current entry |
| Ceftriaxone | Bacterial infections | 7 labelers | $1.44 per vial 1 g vial | No current entry |
| Cefuroxime | Bacterial infections | 2 labelers | n/a | No current entry |
| Cefotaxime | Bacterial infections | 1 labeler | n/a | In shortage |
| Vancomycin | Bacterial infections | 21 labelers | $2.31 per vial 500 mg vial | A presentation being discontinued |
| Piperacillin and tazobactam | Bacterial infections | 15 labelers | $3.49 per vial 3.375 g vial | A presentation being discontinued |
| Levofloxacin | Bacterial infections | 8 labelers | n/a | No current entry |
| Clindamycin | Bacterial infections | 6 labelers | n/a | In shortage |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as ceftazidime
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does ceftazidime compare with medicines for the same use?
1 side-by-side page set ceftazidime beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to ceftazidime
- 21 medicines for the same use
- Other cephalosporins
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Ceftazidime side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Ceftazidime shortage record
- every presentation, company and date
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other