Last Updated on March 16, 2024
Ampicillin is a commonly used antibiotic that is effective against many types of bacterial infections. It is often prescribed by doctors and healthcare professionals to treat a wide range of conditions, from urinary tract infections to skin infections. However, getting a prescription for ampicillin can take time and may not be accessible to everyone. As a result, many people wonder whether ampicillin can be bought over the counter in the UK.
Unfortunately, ampicillin is not available over the counter in the UK. It is classed as a prescription medicine, which means that you need a doctor’s prescription to get it. This is because antibiotics such as ampicillin can have potentially serious side effects and can also contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant infections if not used correctly.
If you need ampicillin for a bacterial infection, it’s important to talk to your doctor or healthcare professional before taking any medication. They will be able to assess your symptoms and recommend the most appropriate treatment. In some cases, alternative antibiotics or treatments may be more suitable for your condition and your doctor can help you make an informed decision about your health and well-being.
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What is Ampicillin?
The active ingredient ampicillin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic from the group of (amino) penicillins. It can be used to treat a wide range of bacterial infections and is well tolerated, but can cause severe allergic reactions in patients with a penicillin allergy. Here you can read all about the effects of Ampicillin, dosage and administration.
How does Ampicillin works?
Like other penicillins, ampicillin interferes with the formation of the cell wall of bacteria. In order to divide and multiply, bacteria must constantly shed their cell walls and prevent new ones from forming. Ampicillin specifically binds to the bacterial enzymes that rebuild the cell wall and maintain its strength. Treatment with ampicillin does not kill the bacteria, but only stops them from dividing and multiplying. The immune system can then take over the division of incompetent invaders and eventually kill them.
After taking ampicillin, about 30 to 60 per cent of the drug is absorbed through the intestinal mucosa. Maximum blood levels are reached about two hours after ingestion. Most of the antibiotic is excreted unchanged in the urine. About an hour after taking the medicine, half of the active ingredient has left the body.
When is Ampicillin used?
Ampicillin is used to treat many bacterial infections, such as infections:
- in the field of ear, nose and throat (ENT),
- respiratory,
- renal undableitenden urinary tract,
- the genitals,
- the gastrointestinal tract,
- the skin and soft tissues,
- the eyes and
- the gall bladder and bile ducts.
The antibiotic should only be used for a short time to prevent the bacteria becoming resistant to it.
How Ampicillin is used
Ampicillin is usually taken as tablets. If you are hospitalised, it may also be given as an injection or infusion.
The tablets must be taken three to four times a day because of the rapid clearance of the active substance. This is the only way to maintain a constant level of the drug in the body. The dosage depends on age, body weight and other parameters and ranges from two to six grams of ampicillin. The course of treatment usually lasts seven to ten days, but should be continued for at least two to three days after symptoms have disappeared.
Ampicillin is often combined with a beta-lactamase inhibitor such as sulbactam. This increases the effect of the antibiotic on strains of bacteria that are able to break down penicillins into inactive metabolites.
What are the side effects of Ampicillin?
More than one in ten people experience nausea, redness and dissolving of the antibiotic. As the latter may indicate an allergic reaction, it is important to seek medical advice if this occurs.
Less commonly, changes in liver enzymes and other non-specific side effects may occur.
What should I watch for while taking Ampicillin?
Some other medicines may interact with ampicillin.
For example, concomitant use of gout medicines (probenecid, allopurinol) leads to higher blood levels of ampicillin and an increased risk of skin reactions.
Coumarin-type anticoagulants (phenprocoumon, warfarin) may have a greater effect when combined with ampicillin.
The drug methotrexate, which is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, certain types of cancer and autoimmune diseases, is inhibited when combined with ampicillin. This increases the levels of methotrexate in the body, which can also increase the side effects of the drug.
Another important interaction is between ampicillin and hormonal contraceptives (“the pill”). If these medicines are taken together, even at different times, the contraceptive effect of the pill is not guaranteed. You should therefore use a non-hormonal method of contraception, such as a condom.
Although studies in pregnant women have shown no harmful effects on the baby, the active ingredient ampicillin should be used with caution during pregnancy. It is also excreted in breast milk, so breast-feeding should be avoided while taking this medicine. In general, the following applies Use of the antibiotic during pregnancy and breastfeeding should be based on a careful risk-benefit assessment by the doctor responsible.
If you have kidney problems, the dose of ampicillin may need to be reduced depending on your kidney function.
Ampicillin may also be used to treat bacterial infections in newborn babies, children and adolescents at reduced doses. However, children under the age of six often have difficulty swallowing pills. Other forms of administration should be used.
How to get Ampicillin
Medicines containing ampicillin that you buy from a pharmacy with a doctor’s prescription.
Since when Ampicillin is known?
Ampicillin was launched by the British pharmaceutical company Beecham in 1961. Before then, penicillins were only used to treat gram-positive bacteria. In addition, the drugs had to be administered by injection or infusion. Ampicillin, on the other hand, is a broad-spectrum antibiotic against gram-negative bacteria and can be taken in tablet form.