Cefadroxil (Duricef and others)

How Medicare covers it

Part D (capsules, tablets, and oral suspension taken at home). Part A during a covered inpatient stay. No Part B clinician-administered form in the CMS Part B spending file.

What it treats

Bacterial infections caused by susceptible bacteria: urinary tract infections, skin and skin structure infections, and pharyngitis and tonsillitis (strep throat).

What it is for, in depth

Cefadroxil is a prescription antibiotic for bacterial infections. The label lists three groups of infections: urinary tract infections caused by E. coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Klebsiella; skin and skin structure infections caused by staphylococci and streptococci; and throat infections — pharyngitis and tonsillitis — caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, the strep throat germ. A doctor prescribes it when an infection is proven or strongly suspected to be caused by bacteria this drug can kill, often after culture and susceptibility testing. In the treatment path it is a short course, not a daily long-term medicine: you take it for a set number of days and finish the course. The label product used here is the 500 mg capsule; the packaged set for this page also includes 1 gram tablets and oral suspensions (50 mg/mL and 100 mg/mL liquids).

How it works

Cefadroxil is a cephalosporin antibiotic. MedlinePlus puts it plainly: it is in a class of medications called cephalosporin antibiotics, and it works by killing bacteria. It does not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections.

How it is taken

Capsules by mouth, with or without food; taking it with food may help reduce stomach upset. For adults: urinary tract infections usually 1 or 2 grams a day in a single dose or divided doses (2 grams a day in divided doses for all but uncomplicated bladder infections); skin infections usually 1 gram a day in a single or divided doses; strep throat and tonsillitis 1 gram a day in a single or divided doses for 10 days. Take it at around the same times every day and finish the full course, even if you feel better early. The packaged set for this page also includes 1 gram tablets and oral suspension (liquid) forms.

Common side effects

Stomach and bowel effects are the most common: diarrhea, and rarely reported indigestion, nausea, and vomiting. Allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling (angioedema), and itching have been observed and usually went away when the drug was stopped. Other reported reactions include genital itching, genital yeast infection, vaginitis, fever, and a moderate temporary drop in certain white blood cells (neutropenia).

Serious warnings

Before treatment, your doctor should ask carefully about past allergy to cefadroxil, other cephalosporins, penicillins, or other drugs — serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, can occur, and cross-sensitivity with penicillin allergy has been documented in up to 10% of patients with a history of penicillin allergy. Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile-associated diarrhea has been reported with nearly all antibacterial drugs and can range from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis; it can appear more than two months after the last dose, so report watery or bloody stools with cramps or fever even after treatment ends. Using the drug when no bacterial infection is proven or strongly suspected raises the risk of drug-resistant bacteria.

Who should be careful

Anyone with a known allergy to the cephalosporin group of antibiotics must not take it — that is the label contraindication — and people with penicillin allergy need caution because of cross-sensitivity. People with markedly reduced kidney function (creatinine clearance under 50 mL/min) need dose changes based on kidney function so the drug does not build up, with observation and lab studies before and during therapy. People with a history of gut disease, especially colitis, should be prescribed it with caution. It passes into breast milk, so breastfeeding patients should talk with their doctor.

Major interactions

The FDA label for cefadroxil capsules lists no major drug-drug interaction section. The interaction the label does name is with lab tests: cefadroxil can cause a positive direct Coombs' test, which matters for blood counts and transfusion cross-matching, and cephalosporins can interfere with some urine sugar tests. Tell your care team and the lab that you are taking it before blood or urine testing.

Cost and saving notes

If this drug is covered under your Medicare Part D plan and the cost is high, you can ask your plan for a tier exception to pay a lower cost share. If you have limited income, Extra Help (the Part D Low-Income Subsidy) can lower your Part D premiums and drug costs. In 2027, your total yearly out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs is capped at $2,400, and you can spread those costs out in monthly payments through the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan.

Why it is in its tier

Cefadroxil (Duricef and others) sits on Tier 2 in 48.23% of the plans that list it (2650 of 5495 listing plans). Tier 2 is the generic tier — low copays. The data-visible drivers: It is a generic product, and the CMS dashboard puts its average Part D spending at about $17.65 per beneficiary for 2024 — a relatively low-cost drug, which matches where plans place it. It is listed by 100.0% of Part D plans. The tier shown is the most common one; individual plans vary.

Sources

• CEFADROXIL CAPSULE [LUPIN PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.] — DailyMed
• MedlinePlus — National Library of Medicine
• MedlinePlus — Cefadroxil

What official patient guides say

Cefadroxil comes as a capsule, tablet, and suspension (liquid) to take by mouth. It is taken with or without food every 12 or 24 hours, at around the same times every day. Take it exactly as directed, and do not take more or less of it or more often than prescribed. The page notes to take cefadroxil with food to reduce nausea and stomach upset. Shake the suspension well before each use. Continue to take it until you finish the prescription even if you feel better. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. Keep the medication in its container, tightly closed, out of reach of children. Store capsules and tablets at room temperature away from excess heat and moisture, not in the bathroom. Keep liquid medicine in the refrigerator, tightly closed, and dispose of any unused medication after 14 days.

Source: MedlinePlus — Cefadroxil

Part D formulary coverage

Source: CMS Prescription Drug Plan Formulary, Pharmacy Network, and Pricing Information Files — Monthly file 2026-10-15 (plan year 2027), file 2027_20261008.zip (data.cms.gov dataset ed1496ea-23e7-41f1-9292-172fa842ccfb): basic drugs formulary file + plan information file, both dated 20261031 inside the zip; downloaded and aggregated 2026-10-30. Medication RxCUI sets resolved through the NLM RxNav (RxNorm) API.

What you pay

Without insurance, the cash benchmark is $3.3982 per unit (CEFADROXIL 1 GM TABLET) — about $101.95 for 30 units. NADAC benchmark — the average price pharmacies pay (CMS, as of 2026-11-04). Pharmacy shelf prices vary.

A tier is not a price; what you pay depends on your plan, pharmacy, and benefit stage; Extra Help or Medicaid can lower it further.

Sources: CMS Plan Benefit Package + formulary data; CMS NADAC · Checked 2026-11-07

Similar medications

Other medications in the same FDA pharmacologic class (Cephalosporin Antibacterial):

• Cefaclor
• Cefazolin sodium injection
• Cefdinir (Omnicef and others)
• Cefepime injection (Maxipime and others)
• Cefixime (Suprax and others)
• Cefotetan
• Cefoxitin
• Cefpodoxime (Vantin and others)
• Ceftaroline fosamil (Teflaro)
• Ceftazidime (Tazicef, Fortaz)
• Ceftazidime / avibactam (Avycaz)
• Ceftobiprole Medocaril (Zevtera)

Read next

• Part D in 2027: The $700 Deductible, the $2,400 Cap, and the $35 Insulin Rule
• Extra Help in 2027: Lower Drug Copays and Who Qualifies
• Checking Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help

Part D spending averages (2024)

Source: CMS Medicare Part D Spending by Drug (Drug Spending Dashboard), release RY26 P04 V10, data through 2024 (DSD_PTD_RY26_P04_V10_DY24_BGM.csv), downloaded 2026-10-30

Companies covering this drug

5,495 plans from 509 companies list this drug on a formulary for 2027. Search by company or plan name, or filter by tier. Cost sharing is the plan's published amount for this drug's tier in the initial coverage stage (1-month retail supply), where the plan publishes it; a blank means the plan does not publish it.

A tier is not a price; what you pay depends on your plan, pharmacy, and benefit stage; Extra Help or Medicaid can lower it further.