Which antibiotics are compared here?

This page compares 8 antibiotics from the CMS Medicare Part D dataset (calendar year 2024): Amoxicillin, Azithromycin, Amoxicillin-Clavulanate Potass, Cephalexin, Doxycycline Hyclate, Ciprofloxacin HCl, Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim, Nitrofurantoin Mono-Macro. Each is shown with its real average Medicare Part D spending per dosage unit in US dollars.

What is the cheapest antibiotic by Medicare spending per unit?

Among these drugs, Amoxicillin had the lowest average Medicare Part D spending per dosage unit at $0.1532 (calendar year 2024), and Nitrofurantoin Mono-Macro the highest at $0.9479. This is program spending per billing unit, not a retail price, and dosage units differ between drugs.

Is this the price I would pay for antibiotics?

No. These figures are average Medicare Part D program spending per dosage unit from CMS open data, not a pharmacy cash price or per-prescription cost. What you pay depends on your pharmacy, insurance, manufacturer, dose and region. This is information only, not medical advice.

Antibiotics: Cost Comparison

Common oral antibiotics across several families — penicillins (amoxicillin), macrolides (azithromycin), cephalosporins (cephalexin), fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin), tetracyclines (doxycycline) and others. They treat bacterial infections only, never viral ones.

Across these 8 drugs, average Medicare Part D spending per dosage unit ranges from $0.1532 (Amoxicillin) to $0.9479 (Nitrofurantoin Mono-Macro) for calendar year 2024. Figures are real CMS open data, in US dollars.

How much do antibiotics cost in the US?

As of calendar year 2024, average Medicare Part D spending per dosage unit for these 8 antibiotics ranged from $0.1532 (Amoxicillin) to $0.9479 (Nitrofurantoin Mono-Macro), per CMS open data. These are Medicare program spending figures per billing unit — not pharmacy cash prices, and not medical advice.

Source:CMS Medicare Part D Spending by Drug·as of calendar year 2024updated yearly (last: 25 June 2026)

Not medical advice — and not a like-for-like price. Each figure is average Medicare Part D program spending per dosage unit, taken unchanged from a public US government dataset. A “dosage unit” differs between drugs (one tablet, one mL, one pen, etc.), so a higher per-unit figure does not always mean a higher monthly cost. These are not pharmacy cash prices, not per-prescription costs, and not price quotes. Always consult a licensed pharmacist or clinician about bacterial infections.

Antibiotics — CMS Medicare Part D average spending per dosage unit, calendar year 2024 (CMS, public domain)
Drug	Generic (active ingredient)	Avg Part D spending / dosage unit	2024 Part D claims
Amoxicillin	Amoxicillin	$0.1532	9,463,530
Azithromycin	Azithromycin	$0.7037	8,784,697
Amoxicillin-Clavulanate Potass	Amoxicillin/Potassium Clav	$0.516	7,719,905
Cephalexin	Cephalexin	$0.317	7,489,860
Doxycycline Hyclate	Doxycycline Hyclate	$0.4852	6,667,052
Ciprofloxacin HCl	Ciprofloxacin HCl	$0.5535	4,856,922
Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim	Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim	$0.2503	4,744,115
Nitrofurantoin Mono-Macro	Nitrofurantoin Monohyd/M-Cryst	$0.9479	4,188,017

Figures are CMS’s own published Medicare Part D spending values (field Avg_Spnd_Per_Dsg_Unt_Wghtd_2024), reported unchanged. The most-prescribed drug in this group in 2024 was Amoxicillin (9.5 million claims). View the full dataset on CMS data.cms.gov.

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Amoxicillin

Avg Medicare Part D spending

$0.1532 / dosage unit

calendar year 2024

2024 Part D claims

9,463,530

how common it is

View full Amoxicillin page →

This is average Medicare Part D program spending per dosage unit, not a pharmacy cash price or a per-prescription cost. Information only — not medical advice and not a price quote.

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Frequently asked questions

Which antibiotics are compared here?: This page compares 8 antibiotics from the CMS Medicare Part D dataset (calendar year 2024): Amoxicillin, Azithromycin, Amoxicillin-Clavulanate Potass, Cephalexin, Doxycycline Hyclate, Ciprofloxacin HCl, Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim, Nitrofurantoin Mono-Macro. Each is shown with its real average Medicare Part D spending per dosage unit in US dollars.
What is the cheapest antibiotic by Medicare spending per unit?: Among these drugs, Amoxicillin had the lowest average Medicare Part D spending per dosage unit at $0.1532 (calendar year 2024), and Nitrofurantoin Mono-Macro the highest at $0.9479. This is program spending per billing unit, not a retail price, and dosage units differ between drugs.
Is this the price I would pay for antibiotics?: No. These figures are average Medicare Part D program spending per dosage unit from CMS open data, not a pharmacy cash price or per-prescription cost. What you pay depends on your pharmacy, insurance, manufacturer, dose and region. This is information only, not medical advice.
Can a GeraClinic clinician help with bacterial infections?: A GeraClinic clinician can review your medication for bacterial infections, explain the options, and issue or renew a prescription online where clinically appropriate. GeraClinic only lists independently verified, licensed clinicians.

Need help with bacterial infections?

A GeraClinic clinician can review your medication, explain the options, and issue or renew a prescription online where clinically appropriate — without travelling to a clinic.

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Contains public sector information published by U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and licensed under the U.S. Government Works / Public Domain. Source: CMS Medicare Part D Spending by Drug (calendar year 2024, published 2026-06-25).

Informational/educational only — not a substitute for professional medical advice; a clinician interprets results.