Penicillin V Potassium
Brand names: Penicillin V Potassium
At a glance
- Medicare prescriptions, 2024
- 285,133
- Medicare drug cost
- $1.7M
- Average cost per prescription
- $5.94
- Clinicians who prescribed it
- 8,592
Where it is prescribed
List the prescribers in any state, county, city or ZIP code →
What it is used for
To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of penicillin V potassium and other antibacterial drugs, penicillin V potassium should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria. When culture and susceptibility information are available, they should be considered in selecting or modifying antibacterial therapy. In the absence of such data, local epidemiology and susceptibility patterns may contribute to the empiric selection of therapy. Penicillin 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 bacteriologic 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. NOTE: Streptococci in groups A, C, G, H, L, and M are very sensitive to penicillin. Other groups, including group D (enterococcus), are resistant.
From the FDA-approved prescribing information (label dated August 2026). Full labels on DailyMed (opens in a new tab)
Who prescribes it
- Dentists (general) 66.9%
- Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons 13.1%
- Endodontists 4.1%
- Infectious Disease 2.8%
- Family Medicine 2.7%
- Nurse Practitioners 2.7%
- Internal Medicine 1.8%
- Periodontists 1.3%
- Physician Assistants 1.3%
- Orthopedic Surgery 0.9%
- Hematology & Oncology 0.4%
- Hematology 0.3%
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 26% from 2019 to 2024.
Biggest change by state since 2019
- Mississippi −9%
- Louisiana −14%
- Kentucky −14%
- Georgia −14%
- Arkansas −18%
- Florida (smallest change) −37%
- Oklahoma (smallest change) −36%
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 3 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.
Pd-Rx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
| Strength | Looks like | Imprint |
|---|---|---|
| 250 mg | white round tablet, 10 mm, scored to split in 2 | WW 111 |
Redpharm Drug
| Strength | Looks like | Imprint |
|---|---|---|
| 250 mg | white round tablet, 10 mm, scored to split in 2 | E 84 |
Remedyrepack Inc.
| Strength | Looks like | Imprint |
|---|---|---|
| 500 mg | white capsule, 17 mm, scored to split in 2 | E 8 5 |
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 2021 · Cardinal Health Inc. · Class II
CGMP Deviations: Intermittent exposure to temperature excursion during storage.
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.