Concurrent prescribing. Beware of drug interactions.
BACKGROUND
Antibiotics are commonly prescribed to patients who are also taking other medications. Pharmacology textbooks contain long lists of potential interactions between antibiotics and other drugs, but only a few of these interactions have serious clinical consequences.


OBJECTIVE
This review will highlight antibiotic interactions that are clinically significant, and the relative incidence and importance of each interaction will be considered. It will concentrate primarily on drugs commonly prescribed in general practice, such as the oral contraceptive pill and warfarin.


CONCLUSIONS
Quinolones and macrolides are the groups of antibiotics most commonly associated with clinically significant drug interactions. Warfarin interacts with many antibiotics, although the incidence of this interaction can range from predictable to rare. The association between most antibiotics and oral contraceptive failure is weak, with only sporadic case reports in the literature.
Munckhof
W J
WJ
Department of Infectious Diseases, Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre, Heidelberg, Victoria.
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000494:pharmacology; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000494:pharmacology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology; D014436:Typhoid-Paratyphoid Vaccines / Q000494:pharmacology; D014859:Warfarin / Q000494:pharmacology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000925:Anticoagulants; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D014436:Typhoid-Paratyphoid Vaccines; D014859:Warfarin