Chloramphenicol: Price, Dosage & Where to Buy

Chloramphenicol is an antibacterial medicine used to treat bacterial infections when less potentially dangerous antibiotics will not be effective. This page covers the intravenous injection formulation, which requires a prescription in the United Kingdom and carries significant warnings about blood disorders. Its use requires careful medical supervision and blood monitoring because serious reactions can occur during either short or prolonged treatment.

Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic that interferes with the way bacteria make proteins. It acts on bacterial ribosomes, the structures responsible for assembling proteins needed for growth and normal cell function. By disrupting this process, it limits bacterial growth and helps the body's immune response control the infection.

This antibacterial mechanism does not make it a treatment for viral illnesses such as colds or influenza. Its effects on blood cell production are a separate safety concern requiring medical monitoring.

Chloramphenicol is reserved for bacterial infections where less potentially dangerous medicines will not be effective. The label does not give a specific list of approved infections here, so an individual condition cannot be identified as its main indication. It explicitly excludes use for trivial infections, colds, influenza and throat infections.

It must not be used simply to prevent bacterial infections. These restrictions reflect the risk of serious blood disorders and the need for careful medical assessment before treatment.

The label lists 1 g/10 mL as the strength of the intravenous injection formulation. The label lists a reconstituted solution equivalent to 100 mg of chloramphenicol per mL (1 g/10 mL). The medicine is supplied as a freeze-dried powder in a vial and is preservative free.

The label does not state a starting dose, dosing frequency or treatment duration here. The formulation strength describes the prepared solution, rather than an individual patient's prescribed dose.

Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F). The product is supplied as a freeze-dried powder in a vial. Follow the product label for handling and storage to maintain quality.

For an intravenous antibiotic, a missed or delayed administration should be discussed with the healthcare team managing treatment. They can decide how to adjust the schedule. A missed administration should not be compensated for by doubling a dose or arranging an extra administration independently.

Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted, and there are no adequate, well-controlled studies establishing safety in pregnancy. It is not known whether chloramphenicol can cause fetal harm. Oral chloramphenicol has been shown to cross the placenta.

Because of potential fetal toxicity, use during pregnancy is restricted to situations where the potential benefit justifies the potential risk. The label does not specify breastfeeding information here; discuss this with a doctor or pharmacist.