Clindamycin Hcl
Brand names: Clindamycin Hcl
Part of: Common antibiotics
At a glance
- Medicare prescriptions, 2024
- 1,057,631
- Medicare drug cost
- $7.6M
- Average cost per prescription
- $7.22
- Clinicians who prescribed it
- 46,240
Where it is prescribed
List the prescribers in any state, county, city or ZIP code →
What it is used for
Section INDICATIONS AND USAGE Clindamycin hydrochloride capsules, USP are indicated in the treatment of serious infections caused by susceptible anaerobic bacteria.
From the FDA-approved prescribing information (label dated December 2024). Full labels on DailyMed (opens in a new tab)
Boxed warning
WARNING Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been reported with use of nearly all antibacterial agents, including clindamycin hydrochloride and may range in severity from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis. Treatment with antibacterial agents alters the normal flora of the colon, leading to overgrowth of C. difficile. Because clindamycin hydrochloride therapy has been associated with severe colitis which may end fatally, it should be reserved for serious infections where less toxic antimicrobial agents are inappropriate, as described in the INDICATIONS AND USAGE section. It should not be used in patients with nonbacterial infections such as most upper respiratory tract infections. C. difficile produces toxins A and B, which contribute to the development of CDAD. Hypertoxin producing strains of C. difficile cause increased morbidity and mortality, as these infections can be…
The FDA’s strongest warning on a label. It doesn’t mean the drug is unsafe for most people; talk to your doctor or pharmacist before stopping or changing any medicine.
Who prescribes it
- Dentists (general) 39.8%
- Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons 8.4%
- Nurse Practitioners 7.5%
- Family Medicine 7.2%
- Physician Assistants 5.7%
- Orthopedic Surgery 5.5%
- Internal Medicine 4.2%
- Podiatrists 3.5%
- Endodontists 2.9%
- Periodontists 2.5%
- Emergency Medicine 1.9%
- General Practice 1.6%
All prescribers, by place, name or specialty →
Share of Medicare prescriptions written by each specialty. Select one to list its prescribers.
Trend, 2019–2024
Medicare prescriptions fell 12% from 2019 to 2024.
Biggest change by state since 2019
- Rhode Island +1%
- West Virginia +0%
- South Carolina +0%
- Puerto Rico +0%
- Georgia −2%
- Oregon (smallest change) −30%
- Hawaii (smallest change) −25%
From CMS’s yearly state and national Part D summaries, which count every prescriber, including those CMS leaves out of its per-clinician data (fewer than 11 prescriptions). That is why these totals are higher than the count at the top of this page. Prescriptions include refills.
What it looks like
Pills from 2 makers on file. The same medicine can look different depending on who made it, so check the imprint (the letters and numbers on the pill) with your pharmacist if a refill looks different.
Advanced Rx of Tennessee, LLC
| Strength | Looks like | Imprint |
|---|---|---|
| 300 mg | blue capsule, 22 mm | RX693 |
Advanced Rx Pharmacy of Tennessee, LLC
| Strength | Looks like | Imprint |
|---|---|---|
| 300 mg | blue capsule, 21 mm | C 40 |
Source: DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), from each maker’s FDA drug listing. A few makers are shown, not every one. Never take a pill you can’t identify; ask a pharmacist.
Industry payments about this drug
No industry payments to clinicians named this drug in 2025.
Recalls and shortages
Not on the FDA drug shortage list.
1 recall since 2020
- Mar 2025 · Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA · Class II
CGMP Deviations
Recalls usually affect specific lots from one maker, not every version of a drug. Class I is the most serious; most drug recalls are Class II. FDA recalls (opens in a new tab)
Sources: CMS Medicare Part D Prescribers by Provider and Drug (2024; prescriptions include refills, and CMS hides counts under 11 per prescriber); U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA (drug labels, NDC directory, enforcement reports, drug shortages); CMS Open Payments 2025; ClinicalTrials.gov. General information only, not medical advice; not yet reviewed by our medical reviewer.